


The Reinvention of Harry Styles

by BananaShark7 (PurpleCrayon)



Category: Harry Styles - Fandom
Genre: 1d, Completed, F/M, Solo Harry Styles, one direction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-03-11 22:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 111,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13533990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurpleCrayon/pseuds/BananaShark7
Summary: Harry Styles' first solo album has come with an all new Harry - or at least a new image.  One former One Direction fan is unhappy with the way Harry is trying to be a rock-star instead of the  adorable kind sweet boy everyone fell in love with in 1D.  When presented with the opportunity to interview Harry and his 'Dunkirk' co-star Fionn Whitehead, Molly decides to take a chance and do something about Harry's new image.Disclaimer: This story revolves around the theory that Harry's solo image was crafted by his management (and himself) over the course of several years. I'm not saying this is canonical, so consider it an AU if that helps you. I personally think Harry was (and still is) very involved in the management of his career and the creation of his image and album.Warnings: Contains some language, some sex, and unpopular opinions of Harry's solo career(I have also posted this story on Wattpad, it's not stolen)Completed: July 17 2018Started: Summer 2017?Editing in process





	1. Chapter 1

A Note from the Author:

Disclaimer: This story revolves around the theory that Harry's solo image was crafted by his management over the course of several years. As in most fanfiction (or RPF - real person fiction), this story presents a fictional version of a real person. I do not know the real Harry Styles, so I am guessing and filling in the blanks in many cases. I do not claim anything mentioned in the story is true, unless it can be backed up by reliable outside sources.

I was not originally a 1D fan; I came into the fandom spring 2017 after seeing Harry on SNL (and from him discovered the rest of 1D), so my perspective is perhaps a bit different. All I knew about Harry beforehand was that he was the one with the hair, and he'd dated Taylor Swift. To me, solo/rock star Harry came across as arrogant, aloof, and overall fake; it looked like he was trying hard to be someone he was not. I do not think this is who he really is, so I support the theory that he was selected to be the 'Justin Timberlake' of 1D and had this image built around him over the past few years, and this is where most of the plot of this story comes from. Not all of the opinions presented in this story are mine, but I do support most of them.

I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion of Harry, and I know not everyone believes the theories presented in this story, and that's fine - this is just a story. I am not trying to drag Harry or his reputation (or anyone else's). This story is just for fun, and kind of my way of dealing with Harry's somewhat disappointing (to me, at least) solo career (thus far). I like Harry, and I think he has a lot of potential to do much better than this.

I also want to remind everyone that fanfiction is meant to be entertaining. I write for fun (not to make fun of anyone, just for fun) and I hope it is fun for you to read. If it isn't, maybe don't read it? In the last 10 years or so that I've been writing fanfiction, in all the fandoms I have been involved with, I have never come across a fandom that takes fanfiction so seriously. This goes for any story, not just my own - if you don't like a story, don't read it. I'm not going to tell anyone what to read/not read, but I want my readers to have the best reading experience they can - yet it ultimately comes down to the reader to decide what they read.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

-Lila  
_____________________________________________________

Harry and Fionn sat patiently waiting for the next interviewer to take the seat across from them. They glanced at each other before both grabbing their phones from their pockets and checking for any new texts, etc., while they waited.

"She's running a little late, sorry guys," someone informed them. "But at least this is your last interview of the day." She smiled, and Harry and Fionn both nodded and returned to their phones.

A clacking of heels indicated someone was coming, rather quickly, and Harry glanced up to see if it was their last interviewer. He and Fionn were a bit tired of answering the same questions over and over again all day, and wouldn't admit it, but they were glad the 'Dunkirk' press junket was almost over.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she said out of breath and pulled down her pencil skirt, which had ridden up her thighs as she ran. Being what is commonly called 'pear shaped' Molly often had this problem with tight skirts, but she wore it anyway because she liked the way it made her ass look. "My last meeting ran late, and wow, now I am late to interview Harry Styles! My 16 year old self would be screaming right now, except I just signed my first book deal! Well, I'm going to be a ghost writer, so it's not really 'my' book, but still! I'm very excited!!!" She chattered at an assistant who was trying to go over the interview process with her.

"You only have five minutes, so pick the most important questions." The assistant stated, and someone else walked up to her with a long list.

"These are subjects you are not permitted to talk about," he said and handed Molly a list, which she read through quickly.

"You're Jeff, right?" She glanced back up at Harry's manager. "So, these are topics I can't ask Harry about? What about Fionn? Can I ask him about 1D?"

Jeff shook his head. "Just don't talk about anything on this list, if possible. If it does come up, edit it out afterwards."

Molly rolled her eyes. 'Why did they have to be like this?' She thought and masked a grimace. Harry's management was not her favorite thing right now, and as a former 1D fan, she hated to see what they were doing to his career. At least she hoped it was his management, and not Harry who actually wanted to distance himself from directioners and create a fake new image of himself as a modern wannabe rock star. An idea flashed through her mind, and she knew this was probably her only chance to ever talk to Harry, so she had to go through with it.

"So, have you got any plans later?" Harry asked Fionn conversationally as he watched his manager talk to the interviewer.

Fionn shrugged. "I'll probably just head back to my hotel and sleep. This time difference is really getting to me." He took another sip of his coffee.

"I know this great sushi place if you want to check it out-" Harry started, but was interrupted as Molly click clacked over to the two in her heels. She introduced herself and explained what website she was writing for, while mentally trying to decide exactly how she was going to say this to Harry. It had to be quiet enough that the cameras didn't pick it up, so she had to get close. She held out her hand to shake, which Harry took, and Molly leaned in for a hug without thinking about it too much.

"Harry, don't take this the wrong way I'm a huge fan, or I was, but," she whispered quickly. "Your new management is causing you to hemorrhage fans. Nobody likes your new fake rock star image." Molly pulled away and they maintained eye contact for a moment, a fake smile trained on her lips. Harry did not look mad, so that's a good sign - in fact he didn't seem upset at all. Maybe a little confused, and a hint of something else....as if, he already knew that?

Molly moved onto Fionn, giving him a hug (without whispering anything ominous in his ear) before sitting in the chair across from them. She jumped into the interview and maintained her bubbly attitude throughout, despite the subtle questioning looks Harry kept giving her. Molly was given the one minute warning, and asked one final question, directing it at Fionn since Harry seemed a bit lost. At the conclusion of the interview, she shook Fionn's hand again, and this time it was Harry's turn to whisper into her ear when they hugged.

"Can I talk to you?" He said quickly and pulled out of the half hug to watch her face. Molly tried to remain calm and keep a professional countenance, but she was screaming on the inside.

"Absolutely," she answered, and watched his eyes dart behind her to where his manager stood.

"Somewhere private, though, pretend I just asked you out, or something," he whispered again.

'That won't be hard' Molly thought, and gave a flirty laugh. "I'd love to."

Harry nodded and bit his lip as he thought. "Great, I know this excellent sushi place..." he started, and the two walked toward the door, his hand gently on her arm, until they were met by his manager. "Oh, sorry, Jeff, I'm going to have to cancel our dinner plans tonight."

"But, Harry, you can't be seen-" Jeff started, his eyes glancing almost accusingly at Molly.

"Don't worry," Harry brushed him off. "They deliver takeaway. At least for me, they do." With that, Harry returned his attention to Molly and the two brushed passed his sputtering manager. They walked through a back exit and into a waiting car, and Harry put up the divider between them and the driver, hinting that they wanted some privacy to 'catch up.'

"Okay," he finally said and turned to her once they were on the road. "What exactly did you mean by that? I'm hemorrhaging fans?"

She had expected him to be mad or upset, but he seemed concerned. Molly took a deep breath before continuing. She hadn't thought about what she'd say after the interview, because she didn't think there'd be an 'after.'

"Yes, your 1D fans, the directioners, I was one at one point," she admitted, and tried to collect her thoughts. "But, point is, people don't like the new image you, or your team, is projecting. This 'rock star' thing is not going over well. Nobody is believing you're the next Mick Jagger, or Prince, or David Bowie - and I don't mean that as an insult. You're not them, because, well, you're you. People like you for being you, Harry Styles, not-" she motioned her hand at him. "Not whatever this is." She finally looked up at him and met his eyes. "I'm sorry."

He was quiet, and his face was drawn as he thought about what she'd told him. "It's okay. I'd had suspicions that that was the case, though they always assure me everything's always going as planned."

"As planned? So, did you know about this beforehand?" Molly tentatively asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, it was kind of my idea. I really just wanted to show that I was more than just 1D, that I wasn't just 'that guy' from a boyband. And rock stars from the '70s, well, the Azoffs had plenty of experience with that, so I thought it would be a piece of cake. I didn't necessarily want to leave my 1D fans behind, though."

"But it's not the '70s anymore, you can't pretend to be something you're not, " Molly said with a grimace, hoping she hadn't hurt his feelings. "Is your album even rock? Parts of it, I guess, but it's more indie, or pop, right? I've never been very good with music genres..."

  
Harry nodded, as if he had considered this, too, but was not overly happy with that conclusion.

"It's not too late, though," Molly started and Harry turned his gaze from the window, his green eyes fixing on hers. "It's not too late to fix it."

He stared at her like this for a moment, eyes wide and deep with thought. "You think we can fix this?"

Molly flushed slightly at the mention of 'we' (as if he implied her and him) and her mind raced to come up with a coherent response. "Yes, as my Grandma used to say, 'nothing is so broke that it can't be fixed'."

He smiled. "Your grandmother sounds very wise. You know, I wasn't joking about getting sushi, if you'd like. Maybe we can continue discussing this over some yellowfin? I think I might have a bottle of wine that would go well with that, too."

Molly nodded quickly and replied, "Sure, sounds like a date." She mentally smacked herself. "I mean, that would be great, sounds like a plan." Molly shut her mouth before she could say anything else embarrassing.

Harry laughed and pulled out his phone to order dinner for their 'date.' "This is going to be fun," he joked while Molly sat on the other end of the seat, pink with embarrassment.


	2. Chapter 2

Molly fiddled with the chopsticks for a few minutes before giving up and asking Harry for a fork.

“I’m sorry, I’ve just never figured out how to hold them properly.” Molly shrugged.

“Well, for starters you’re doing it all wrong.” He held up his hand with the chopsticks perfectly placed to demonstrate.

Molly studied his finger placement upon the chopsticks and tried to replicate it, unsuccessfully, and accidentally dropped one. “Like this?”

Harry shook his head and laughed. “No, it’s more like… Do you mind?” He hesitated before putting his hand on hers.

“No, go ahead, knock yourself out.” Molly offered her hand out with the chopsticks to Harry.

“I’ll try not to knock myself out with your hand.” Harry laughed, and readjusted her grip. “For starters you need to relax, or you’ll break those chopsticks.”

“Sorry, I guess I’m just nervous.” Molly answered and giggled.

“Nervous to eat sushi?” Harry asked with a cheeky grin.

“No, I’ve eaten sushi plenty of times. Though, I usually have to ask for a fork,” Molly admitted and worked the chopsticks in her hand more successfully.

Harry watched her for a moment as she took her first bite of yellowtail. “Is it because we met less than an hour ago, and I’ve already asked you back to my house for a ‘date’ as you called it?” He shot her a teasing smile.

“I did not say that, you know what I meant, and…” She took another drink of wine. “Yeah, maybe. But we’re here to talk business. Or marketing. PR, whatever.”

“Right,” Harry leaned forward and pushed his plate off to the side. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well, for starters, you need to communicate with your fans more. The ones who already like you, or what’s left of them. Post a selfie on instagram or say something on twitter not related to your album.” Molly suggested, and grabbed some more sushi.

“Like what? ‘Just got some killer sushi with a buxom babe’?” He grinned and pretended to tweet.

“What? Did you just call me buxom?” Molly laughed.

Harry raised an eyebrow as he ate another piece of sushi. Molly didn’t know how to respond to this, so she kept talking. “So, yes, keeping in touch with fans is always good. I think that could go a long way with salvaging some of your 1D fans.”

Harry nodded as he took this in. “You said you were a fan, that you’d been a fan of One Direction. What made you stop? What changed?”

Molly shrugged and contemplated her empty wine glass before reaching for the bottle to refill it. “I guess I grew up. Though, I always felt like I’d grown up with you guys because I was 16 when I became a fan, and you were only a year or two older…. I don’t know, I guess when you guys broke up, I moved on. I was in college, so I found other things...other boys to...obsess over.”

“Obsess?” Harry raised his eyebrows.

“I mean, I found a real boy to fall in love with.”

“Lucky guy,” Harry said, nearly into his wine glass as he was taking a sip, and Molly couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

She shrugged. “He mysteriously got syphilis after a year of supposedly monogamous dating. Luckily he caught it before it spread.”

“That really sucks.”

“I learned to take boys less seriously after that.” Molly looked back into her wine glass and hoped Harry would change the subject.

“So, besides boys, what else did you study at uni?” He asked.

“Marketing, actually, though I learned to hate it by the time I graduated. That’s why I’m doing freelance writing and random interviews with stars like you.”

 

“Marketing? So you do actually know what you’re talking about.” Harry smiled. “This might actually work.”

“What?” Molly was feeling the wine tingling the neurons in her brain, mixing up the synapses.

“This. You helping me rework my public image. This might actually work out.” He stared at Molly pensively for a while as she swirled the dregs at the bottom of her wine glass. “Would you like to be my girlfriend?”

The glass slipped out of Molly’s hand and bounced to the table below, but somehow did not break. “What?!?” She stuttered as she picked it up again.

“See, my management has control over many aspects of my career, and in turn, my life. The one thing they do not have a say in is who I date. Who I actually date, not who I’m seen in public with. I can’t exactly hire you to be my personal PR person or assistant, they wouldn’t go for that. So, will you be my,” he held up his hands to indicate air quotes, “‘girlfriend’. It would give you a reason be around me often, voice your opinion, and they couldn’t ask you to leave.”

Molly looked at him carefully and wondered what was in that wine. “You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend around your management, but not publicly?”

Harry nodded. “That’s right.”

“And what exactly would that entail?” Molly inquired, feeling interested in this deal.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, it would be like we were dating, except, not.”

Molly nodded. “Okay, but how much? Where do we draw the line?”

Harry’s face lit up and he snickered. “Oh, no it wouldn’t be like that. Nothing physical.”

Molly giggled and covered her face. “God, no I did not mean that. I meant, like, logistics. Do I live with you? How long have we been together? How did we meet? Stuff like that.”

Harry nodded. “Right, that’s important too. I guess….that depends. Where are you based? Here in LA?”

Molly shook her head. “I’m from Connecticut. I work from home, or wherever I am.”

“So maybe we met in New York, I’m over there pretty often,” Harry suggested.

“Maybe when you were on SNL?” Molly suggested, and Harry agreed.

“That would work out perfectly, because that was about three months ago.” Harry’s eyes lit up and he looked Molly over for a moment. “This could actually work.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

“So you’ll do it?” He asked.

“Harry Styles, are you asking me out?” Molly smiled broadly.

“Yes, Molly…. I don’t even know your last name.” He bit his lip and squinted as he tried to remember if she had mentioned her surname or not.

“Molly Annabelle Winthrope. Born April 15th 1995. Graduated Cum Laude with a degree in marketing from the University of New Haven this spring. My favorite colors are aqua marine and tickled pink (it’s a crayon color), and hobbies include baking (and eating) cupcakes, reading fanfiction, and knitting.” Molly smiled. “I feel like I’m on a dating show. Anything else you’ll need to know as my pseudo boyfriend?”

“Cupcakes? I love cupcakes, maybe we can bake some tomorrow when Jeff stops by.” Harry smiled. “We can show off our new relationship. Maybe you surprised me yesterday, at the interview, that’s why I seemed a little off.”

“That’s a good idea. We had been keeping it quiet until we were sure this was a thing, that’s why your management didn’t know about me.” Molly suggested, and Harry nodded. “Do you have icing sugar?”

Startled, Harry shrugged. “I’m not sure, why?”

“If we’re making cupcakes we’ll need some. The rest of the ingredients are pretty basic, like, sugar, butter, flour, eggs… you have that, right? And baking tins?” Molly asked.

“I think we need to do some shopping,” Harry smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

“Harry, the butter needs to be at room temperature first.” Molly put her hand on Harry’s to keep him from adding the butter to the mixing bowl too soon.  
  
“Oh, that’s going to take a while, isn’t it?” He asked and put the butter down.  
  
She shrugged. “When will Jeff be here?” She asked quietly, even though it was just the two of them.  
  
Harry checked his phone. “Half hour, or so.”  
  
“Then that’ll do.” Molly stated and picked up the stick of butter (still in its wrapper), and, to Harry’s surprise, shoved it down the shirt she was borrowing from Harry and into her bra. “Just warming it up.” She said as she positioned the butter.  
  
“Okay.” Harry stared in surprise, a smile starting on his lips. “I’ve never seen that before, but I guess that’ll work.”  
  
“Trust me.” Molly winked and set about getting the rest of the ingredients out. She and Harry measured and mixed the dry ingredients while the butter warmed up. While they waited for Jeff to arrive, they went through their backstory to make sure they had all the details lined up. “But we don’t want it to sound too perfect, then it’ll look fake, and the best way to sell a lie is to lace it with a bit of truth.”  
  
“Good idea,” Harry nodded, and pulled out his phone to look at a text. “He’s here.”  
  
“Oh, umm...” Molly and Harry suddenly felt nervous, and both wondered if this was a good idea, or if they could even pull it off. Jeff and Harry were friends, so he might think it’s odd Harry’s never mentioned Molly before.  
  
“I’ve got an idea,” Harry stuck his hand in the flour container and then placed it on Molly’s butt, leaving a hand print on her tight black skirt.  
  
“Perfect.” Molly smirked. Before either of them had time to think, Harry slid his hand onto Molly’s back as they heard Jeff approaching.  
  
“Ha ha ha, oh Harry you crack me up!” Molly pretended to laugh at something Harry said, and they both turned to look at Jeff. He looked confused, especially when he recognized Molly from the press junket yesterday, and when he realized she was wearing the same skirt and one of Harry’s shirts.  
  
“Jeff, you might remember Molly Winthrope from yesterday,” Harry introduced, and Molly smiled and waved. In doing so, she accidentally moved the stick of butter warming up in her shirt, so the top poked up out of her bra.  
  
“Oh!” She grabbed the butter. “I forgot about that.” She and Harry giggled and she set the butter aside.  
  
“Nice to see you again Molly,” Jeff said, and eyed Harry as if to ask ‘wtf is she doing here?’ Seeing as Molly was not the type of girl Harry usually hooked up with, Jeff could not quite figure out why Molly was in his kitchen baking cupcakes, wearing Harry’s shirt.  
  
Harry leaned down and kissed Molly’s head, keeping her tightly embraced, and Jeff’s eyes got huge. “Oh, you’re together?” He said, more to himself than them.  
  
“Molly and I met in New York, while I was doing SNL.” Harry explained. “And she came out to surprise me yesterday.”  
  
“When I heard the website I occasionally write for was sending someone to interview the cast of ‘Dunkirk’ I knew it just had to be me. I was in LA anyway for something else, so it worked out perfectly!” Molly leaned into Harry’s embrace and smiled broadly.  
  
“We were just baking cupcakes. That’s what the butter was for,” Harry explained.  
  
“If you want, I can finish these up while you two chat,” Molly said to Harry.  
  
“That would be lovely, cupcake.” Harry leaned down to peck her on the forehead before reluctantly pulling out of her grasp. “Jeff and I have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”  
  
“Yes, especially since I didn’t know you had a, uh...” Jeff looked like he didn’t quite want to say the word, as if he wasn’t sure they were ready to put a label on it.  
  
“Girlfriend?” Harry nodded. “We wanted to be sure before we told anyone.”  
  
“Oh, so you’re sure now?” Jeff still seemed reluctant to accept this.  
  
“Absolutely. It’s been three months, I think we would have figured that out by now.” Harry looked back at Molly and smiled, and she smiled back while mixing the cupcakes. He and Jeff left to sit in the other room while Molly continued baking in the kitchen.  
  
“So, three months, huh?” Jeff said quietly, once they were out of earshot. “Is she pregnant?”  
  
“What?” Harry asked, genuinely surprised. He and Molly had not considered that possible reaction. “No, absolutely not.”  
  
Jeff looked at him sternly. “Seriously, Harry, this is something I would need to know. You can tell me, it’s okay.”  
  
Harry shook his head and laughed. The idea was absurd, considering they only met yesterday and had never even slept together. “No. I mean, I hope not,” Harry joked.  
  
Jeff kind of laughed, but he still eyed Harry warily. “Okay,” he finally said. “We have a lot to discuss, so first-”  
  
“Actually, Jeff, I’d like to start. No more PR ‘girlfriends.’ Molly doesn’t like it.” Harry hated throwing her under the bus like that, but she’d suggested it. “And, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with it anymore.”  
  
Jeff made a note, and looked back at Harry. “You’re not thinking of going public with her, are you?”  
  
“No, not for a long time, at least. I’d hate to see her get torn to shreds by the media or fans.” Harry truly did not want to ever face that.  
  
“Okay, that’s good to hear. We had someone lined up for to you to make an appearance with in August, but we’ll cancel that. Too bad, she’s already been paid, and she’s hot, too,” Jeff remarked as he texted someone. “Anything else?”  
  
“Yes. Molly’s going to travel with me.”  
  
“Where?”  
  
“Everywhere.”  
  
“Everywhere?” Jeff repeated. “Harry, are you sure? I don’t want you to rush into things.”  
  
“Jeffrey, I want her around as much as possible.” Harry really meant that, but the next part he romanticized a bit. “I’m tired of sleeping alone, and having her around makes things so much better.”  
  
Jeff sighed as he thought of the work it would take to add one more person to their travel plans from now on. “Okay. Anything else?”  
  
“That’s it, for now.”  
  
“Alright…” Jeff dove into the long list of topics he needed to discuss with Harry.  
  
In the kitchen, Molly watched the timer tick down the minutes until the cupcakes were done. She couldn’t hear what was going on in the other room and it was driving her crazy. Had it worked? Had Harry sold Jeff on their ‘relationship’? Or had they been caught red handed? This was it; if Jeff saw through their charade, Molly would go home and pretend none of this had ever happened, and Harry would have to deal with the consequences, as embarrassing as that would be for him.  
  
The timer on the oven beeped and Molly jumped. She didn’t realize how on edge she was, and her hands shook as she took the cupcake tins out of the oven.  
  
‘Calm down, Molls’ she thought and took a deep breath. ‘This is your chance to check on their conversation, don’t mess it up’. She made her way over to the living room, slowly gaining her confidence back as she heard the pair talking about the boring logistics of touring.  
  
“Harbear,” she smiled, and Harry’s eyes lit up at her voice. “The cupcakes are done, they just need to cool off before we can frost them.”  
  
“That’s wonderful, love,” Harry smiled. “Did we decide on a color? I was thinking pink icing.”  
  
“You know how much I love pink!” Molly giggled. “I’ll get started making the frosting. Jeff, you’ll stay for cupcakes, right?”  
  
“I, uh,” he glanced from Molly to Harry. “I have a lot of work to do now that-”  
  
He stopped short and Harry raised his eyebrows. “What?”  
  
“Just, arranging travel plans, and a visa, if Molly plans on staying with you in London.”  
  
Harry looked a bit irritated, so Molly spoke up. “Of course, I understand. Maybe next time.”  
  
She and Harry exchanged a glance that said ‘we did it!’ before Molly left for the kitchen again. She was just finishing up the frosting when Harry joined her, leaning on the counter next to her. Molly turned to him with a big smile and put a dollop of frosting on his nose.  
  
“Jeff's gone,” he said.  
  
“Oh, I guess I won’t lick that frosting off your nose then.” She smiled apologetically and handed him a towel to clean it off. “Sorry.”  
  
“He bought it.” He smiled and Molly jumped excitedly. “That was nerve wracking.” Harry recounted what he and Jeff had talked about (the parts pertaining to Molly, not the boring business stuff). “It’s funny, he asked if you were pregnant,” Harry concluded with an amused expression.  
  
“What?” Molly didn’t seem to find it so funny and looked down at her stomach. “I’m not that fat!”  
  
“No, that’s not what he meant. You look perfectly proportioned,” Harry remarked, somehow thinking that was a compliment. “I guess he thought I’d hooked up with you in New York, and that you’d come out here to tell me I’m the baby daddy.”  
  
“As in, ‘I’m having your baby, and it’s none of your business’?” She and Harry both laughed  
  
“Let’s frost these cupcakes, I’m dying to try one.” Harry grabbed a knife and began slathering pink icing on a cupcake.  
  
“That’s not how you do it!” Molly giggled, and showed him how to properly frost a cupcake.  
  
“I’m glad we actually get along,” Harry said as the two munched on their newly frosted cupcakes. “This would be much harder if we didn’t like each other.”  
  
“True, though I feel like I have an advantage here. I feel like I’ve known you since I was sixteen.” Molly added.  
  
“And have I lived up to expectations?” Harry (half jokingly) asked.  
  
“Ehh, we’ll see,” Molly teased.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps. Harbear rhymes with Carebear : )


	4. Chapter 4

“Oh my,” Molly looked at her computer screen. “Oh no. No no no no no. That’s not what I meant!”  
  
Hearing her, Harry poked his head around the door to see what was up. “What’s happened?”  
  
“Umm. the article I wrote to go with the interview has just gone live, and I’ve found an error. And it’s bad!” She cringed and held up her laptop for him to see for himself.  
  
_"Dunkirk ‘stars’ Harry Styles and Fionn Whitehead spoke with us about their experience filming Christopher Nolan’s WWII drama…"_  
  
“What? ‘Stars’?” Harry looked back at her in shock. “Can you fix it or is it too late?”  
  
Molly grabbed her phone and started dialing. “I’m going to call my boss, maybe they can take the article down. I clearly meant to put the quotation marks around ‘Dunkirk’ not around stars….” She shook her head as she waited for her boss to pick up the phone. Harry returned to the kitchen to finish making his tea. He didn’t want to admit it to Molly, but he thought her typo was a little funny.  
  
That is, until he got a text from Jeff, who had found and read the article in record time. Apparently Jeff didn’t find it to be amusing either, and voiced his skepticism about Molly yet again. Harry replied to the text, assuring him it was an error and Molly was fixing it now. However, that didn’t stop suspicion from growing in Jeff’s mind.  
  
Molly slumped into the kitchen and sighed. “They’re going to fix it, but really, didn’t anyone proofread that? I know I missed it too, but I’ve been a little, err, distracted.”  
  
Harry smirked teasingly. “You think I’m distracting?”  
  
She rolled her eyes. “Very, but don’t let that go to your head. I don’t necessarily mean that as a compliment.”  
  
“Hey…” Harry pretended to be insulted, but knew she was joking. “Would you like some tea?”  
  
“I think I’m going to need something stronger than tea.” Molly leaned on the counter and rested her head in her hands.  
  
“Coffee?” Harry suggested.  
  
“No, stronger as in booze.” Molly corrected.  
  
“I have just the thing.” Harry left and returned a few minutes later with some copper mugs and a few ingredients. “Ever had a Moscow mule?”  
  
“What?” Molly sat up and watched Harry mix lime juice, vodka, and something else.  
  
“I had this at a friends house once and fell in love with it. Do you like ginger beer?” He asked as he poured their drinks.  
  
“Is that like ginger ale?” She asked and took the copper mug. “Why is it in a copper mug?”  
  
“It’s a little stronger than ginger ale. Try it.” He watched as she took a sip.  
  
“Wow, yes that’s quite gingery. And quite vodkay too.”  
  
“Too strong?” Harry asked and tried his own drink to see if he’d made it wrong.  
  
“No, this is perfect. Exactly what I needed, thanks.” She took another sip, and the two stood in the kitchen for a moment in silence.  
  
“So, we’re leaving tomorrow morning for London.” Harry started. “Well, I am. I think you probably need to stop by home, wherever that is, to pick up more clothes and stuff.”  
  
Molly nodded. “Home is with my parents, still.” She cringed and waited for Harry to tease her, but there was nothing. “I also need to get my passport, let my parents know what I’m doing….that’s okay, right?”  
  
Harry thought for a moment. “I don’t know. I guess you can tell them, since I can’t really ask you to lie to your parents.”  
  
Molly pondered this for a bit while she sipped her Moscow mule. “Maybe I’ll just tell them I got a job. They know I’ve been looking for one. I think my mom would freak out if I even mentioned you. She was one of those directioner moms who was more than happy to take my friends and I to concerts.”  
  
“Really?” Harry laughed, but his mind was preoccupied. He was now worrying about what he was going to tell his own parents, particularly his mom. He couldn’t lie to her, she’d see right through it, but what if Jeff asked her about his new girlfriend? He’d never hear the end of it, if she thought he’d talked to his manager about a girl and not his own mum. “Um, I have to make a phone call.” He left Molly in the kitchen without an explanation and went upstairs to his room.  
  
He took out his phone and hit ‘call’ before really thinking it through. ‘I hope I don’t wake her up…’ he thought as he looked at the time and figured in the time difference. Then again, if she was asleep he wouldn’t have to talk to her about it.  
  
“Hi hon,” Anne tiredly answered the phone.  
  
“Sorry, mum, did I wake you up?” Harry asked.  
  
“No, just going to bed now. What’s up?” She asked, and Harry was quiet for a moment.  
  
“Umm, I kinda have a girlfriend,” he started.  
  
“Oh, is it someone Jeff ‘set you up with’ like, what was her name? Tess?” Anne did not sound surprised.  
  
“No, this is different. We’re not going public with it, but-”  
  
“Finally! Oh my god Harry, I have been waiting for this day for so long,” Anne beamed.  
  
“Well, it’s not quite like that, though. We’re not actually dating, it’s more, uh…” Harry trailed off as he tried to think of the right word.  
  
“Oh no, Harry,” Anne sounded very disappointed. “You didn’t - please tell me she isn’t pregnant.”  
  
“No, mum, nothing like that.” Harry sighed. ‘Why did people keep thinking that?’ “She’s helping me with PR stuff. She’s a fan, actually, or was a 1D fan, and wants to help me fix this mess Jeff has gotten me in.”  
  
Anne was quiet for a moment as she considered this. “That’s really wonderful, Harry, I’m glad you’re fixing that. I don’t get how she’s ‘kinda’ your girlfriend, though.”  
  
“It’s kinda like the girls I’m seen with for PR, except it’s for my management. I can’t fire my manager, we’re both under contract, so I’m trying to change it myself. Except I have no idea what I’m doing, so that’s why I need Molly. She just graduated with a degree in marketing and has some great ideas.”  
  
“So, do I get to meet Molly?” Anne asked.  
  
“Yes, actually, she’s coming to the premier with you and Gem next week.”  
  
“Is that really a good idea?”  
  
“I don’t think anyone will question it. They’ll just assume she’s a friend of Gemma’s or that she’s maybe someone from my management,” Harry explained. “Sorry, it’s probably pretty late, I’ll let you go to bed.”  
  
“Night, love you Harry.”  
  
“Love you too mum, see you soon.” Harry hung up, and somehow felt guilty. What was he dragging Molly into? His mom’s reaction made him wish he had actually found a real girlfriend, since, as Anne had pointed out, it had been a while. However, Harry did not see that changing anytime soon.  
  
He wandered back down to the kitchen and found Molly trying to make another Moscow mule. “Harry, how much vodka do you add? I think I messed the last one up and added too much.”  
  
“How many of those have you had?” He watched her lean on the kitchen counter as if it were her life source.  
  
“Can you help me?”She held the bottle of vodka out and he took it from her before it could slip from her hand.  
  
“How about you sit down for a while, okay?” Harry was trying not to laugh at her as she let him lead her over to the couch in the living room.  
  
“Do you want to watch a movie?” She asked as she got comfortable on his couch.  
  
“Okay, I guess I don’t have anything else to do.” He slumped down at the other end of the couch. “What do you want to watch?”  
  
“Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?” Molly asked, trying to mimic the opening to ‘Woman’. She turned to look at Harry with a sly grin on her face to find him staring back at her, an amused smile forming on his lips.  
  
“If that’s what you want to watch.” He shrugged, pretending not to notice.  
  
“Harry, really, are you not going to acknowledge that I just quoted you in ‘Woman’? That is you, right?” Molly tilted her head and replayed it in her head, not noticing Harry’s smirk at the other end of the couch.  
  
“What about this, one, have you seen this movie? Molly?” He asked and threw a pillow at her when she seemed intent on staring at the ceiling.  
  
“What? Oh, you actually did it, you actually searched romantic comedies on Netflix. This feels so meta.” Molly stared at the screen. “What is that? Have I seen ‘The Proposal’? That’s a bit ironic you want to watch that, but yes, I have seen it; Ryan Reynolds is so hot. Oh my god, Harry, have you seen ‘Deadpool’?”  
  
“I haven’t,” he answered.  
  
“Oh my god, Harry, we have to watch it!” She reached over to grab the remote from him.  
  
“Really? I’ve heard it’s pretty graphic.”  
  
“Well, you can hold my hand if it gets too scary for you,” Molly teased and shot him a smile as she searched for ‘Deadpool’.  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Molly and Harry landed in New York the next day, before Harry headed off to London on his own. They had both slept on the plane, so there was no need to pretend just because Jeff was around. However, when it was time for the two to part, they both made eye contact as they realized it would be appropriate for them to kiss goodbye. Jeff, as always, was nearby, and even though he was on the phone, he kept a close eye on the couple’s actions.  
  
Molly leaned into Harry for a hug, and he rested his chin on her head. As she pulled away, she looked up at him, wide eyed, as she realized she was going to have to kiss Harry Styles. The many times her younger self had imagined this, it never played out like this. She was nervous, but they were both sleepy and still waking up after the long flight. Without thinking about it too much, they both leaned in and briefly touched lips, paused half a second, before pulling away.  
  
“I’m going to miss you,” Molly said as they pulled out of their hug.  
  
“I already miss you, Molls.” Harry smiled, and Molly nearly laughed at how cheesy that sounded.  
  
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Molly turned to leave, accidentally catching Jeff’s eyes as he surreptitiously watched the pair.  
  
“Don’t forget your passport!” Harry called after her, knowing she actually needed that reminder. He watched her leave before turning to Jeff and seeing the same expression on his face he’d seen the other day when he told him he and Molly were dating. “What?” Harry asked.  
  
“That was some kiss,” Jeff said sarcastically. “Are you two practicing for the world record of shortest kiss?”  
  
Harry rolled his eyes. “We’re not really into PDA. Besides, you never know who could see us.”  
  
“Harry, I’m the only one here.”  
  
“We’re just tired, okay?” Harry shrugged him off and walked back toward the plane. Honestly, he was tired. He and Molly had been up late talking about what they needed to do to fix his image. After watching ‘Deadpool’ Molly sobered up a bit and had a few ideas, so they spent the next few hours figuring out how to implement them.  
  
One thing Molly brought up that Harry would need to look into was the legality behind some of the things Jeff had planned for Harry and whether or not he could get out of it. Specifically, his deal with Gucci and other designers to make the ‘70s rock star suits. As Molly pointed out, people do like them (most of them), but they were another part in his faux rock star image they were trying to fix. If he had to wear whatever they told him to, he would. But if he had a say in what he wore, he would try to suggest something more….appropriate? Molly kept reminding him ‘what would 1D Harry do?’ 1D Harry would not have worn nearly half of the suits Harry had worn the past few months. On the other hand, as Molly pointed out, his suits were the most exciting part of his solo career to some. But they were, after all, a costume more than anything.  
  
However, he had a couple of ‘Dunkirk’ premieres to attend over the next week, and it was probably too late to change those outfits. He’d been fitted for dozens of different suits months ago, and couldn’t remember what exactly he’d be wearing, but they were probably not as extravagant as the outfits he wore on the ‘Late Late Show’.  
  
His blood froze at the thought of the London premier. Why had he thought it was a good idea for Molly to come? She said she hadn’t gotten to see the movie before interviewing he and Fionn in LA, because she was a last minute replacement. So without thinking, Harry said she could come to one of the premiers with him. Not with him, as in, a date, but as one of his guests, like his mom and Gemma. Or Jeff and his girlfriend, because they would be there too. They always were.  
  
Harry sighed and looked out the window at the clouds below. He really hoped Molly and Gemma hit it off - he was really relying on it. It had been his ‘bright’ idea to suggest his sister be friends with his fake girlfriend, so if she was ever seen with them publicly it would explain her presence. So, publicly, Molly was Gemma’s friend. Privately (ie, around his management), Molly was Harry’s girlfriend. In reality, Molly was a former 1D fan with a degree in management, and Harry was in trouble.  
  
Big trouble. Harry constantly doubted whether or not he could pull this off, and consistently questioned his sanity the day he met Molly and asked her to be his ‘girlfriend.’ What had he gotten himself into? What had he dragged Molly into? So far, she seemed more than willing to go along with this, but this was just the beginning. He was about to put her out in front of thousands of people this weekend at the premier, where people would speculate and scrutinize her. She would be with his mom and his sister, two people Harry trusted more than anyone. Molly had that ebullient personality that allowed her to get along with practically anyone, so it shouldn’t be a problem, right?  
  
This thought plagued Harry until he fell asleep, and thought nothing of Molly confronting her parents, informing them she would be moving to London immediately for a job.  
  
“Honey, I’m so proud of you, but…. London? That’s so far away, sweetie,” her mom said with sad eyes.  
  
“I’ll be around New York occasionally, I think.” She swallowed and realized she had no idea what Harry’s plans were. “Maybe.”  
  
“Well, I for one am glad we finally get to turn your bedroom into that exercise room,” her dad stated.  
  
“Stephen, not right now.” Her mom glared at him.  
  
“Well, Deborah, when I graduated college I would not have dared move back in with my parents.” He shrugged, and put his hands in his pockets.  
  
“Thanks dad.” Molly said flatly. “But I’m not sure how long this job will last.” She got a feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realized this could be temporary, like, only a few weeks. She might have to come home and live in that ‘exercise’ room. “I have to pack,” she said suddenly and excused herself from her bickering parents.  
  
She grabbed anything she thought she would need and stuffed whatever she could fit into her two suitcases. Everything seemed to be happening so fast, but she tried to keep her head on straight. In college, she had only lived an hour or so away from home, and saw her parents frequently. Being an only child, she was used to her parents (her mom, mostly) being over protective and just a phone call away. Now, she would be living across the ocean with a guy she used to idolize, though realistically, she barely knew him.  
  
Molly tried to keep all of this out of her head as she and her parents went out for dinner before they dropped her off at the airport that night. Blinking back tears, she gave her mom a hug goodbye and said she’d call when she landed.  
  
“Did you pack your toothbrush,” her mom asked.  
  
“Yes, mom.” Molly rolled her eyes.  
  
“And your birth control,” her mom added quietly.  
  
“Yes, mom!” Molly laughed and stepped out of her embrace. “I have to go now, you know how long it take to get through customs.”  
  
“Love you honey!” Her mom shouted after her, and Molly turned to wave one more time.  
  
Halfway through her flight she got a text from Harry.  
  
H: How’s your flight?  
  
M: It’s lovely, thanks. I’ve never flown first class  
  
H: Are you ready for the premier tomorrow?  
  
M: Shit, no I don’t think I have anything to wear  
  
H: You and Gemma can go shopping together for something. It’ll be a good way for you two to bond, and maybe be seen together.  
  
M: Smart move. I’m surprised I didn’t think of it myself.  
  
H: ; )  
  
H: Have you two been talking?  
  
M: Yup. About you, of course  
  
H: No! Nothing embarrassing, I hope?  
  
M: Only embarrassing stuff, duh  
  
H: Great, at least you get along, though.  
  
M: Very much so  
  
M: See you in a couple of hours  
  
H: Actually, I’m going to see if she can pick you up at the airport and take you shopping straight away.  
  
Molly soon fell asleep, knowing she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. This time change was really going to get to her. As Harry planned, Gemma picked Molly up at the airport like she was greeting an old friend.  
  
Once safely in the car, Gemma turned to Molly to properly introduce herself. “So, how are you finding my brother?”  
  
Molly sighed. “He’s not quite what my 16 year old self thought he was. But I guess that’s a good thing, considering he’s 23 now?”  
  
Gemma laughed, “So you’re a fan?”  
  
“I was huge 1D fan for a couple years.” Molly didn’t even feel embarrassed to admit this to Gemma, she just thought the whole situation was funny.  
  
“Harry kind of explained it to me, and I’m happy you’re trying to help him. I’ve seen what people say about the ‘new Harry’ so I’m glad I could assist.” Gemma explained, and added with a smirk, “And you seem pretty fun; I’m happy you’re my brother’s pretend girlfriend.”  
  
“I’m happy I get to pretend to be your friend.” Molly giggled, and the two chatted for a bit until they arrived at their destination. Molly was expecting to go to a mall to find a dress, but Gemma took her to a very nice looking store.  
  
“So, what do you want to wear?” Gemma asked and Molly looked wide-eyed around the store.  
  
“I’m not even sure what’s appropriate to wear to this kind of thing,” Molly admitted. She usually had no trouble with fashion, but she was a bit out of her league.  
  
“Nothing too fancy or formal, but still classy.” Gemma described the outfits she and Anne were wearing while Molly looked through clothes.  
  
“And Harry’s wearing black, too, so I guess black is the theme,” Molly said as she pulled out a dress and held it up.  
  
“Girl, you have to try that on!” Gemma smiled and pushed Molly toward the dressing rooms.  
  
Molly eyed herself carefully in the mirror before stepping out to show it off to Gemma. “It’s not too….much, is it?”  
  
Gemma shook her head. “Not at all, that looks fabulous, and really shows off your curves.”  
  
“Yeah?” Molly turned in front of the mirror to view the back. “This would look great with some red heels.”  
  
Gemma reappeared next to Molly and held up some shiny red stilettos. “I was just thinking the same thing.”  
  
Molly slipped on the shoes and the two stared at her reflection in the mirror as she modeled her outfit.  
  
“Harry might actually fall for you when he sees you in that,” Gemma complimented.  
  
“Oh shut up.” Molly rolled her eyes. “That’s not my intention, you know that, right?”  
  
Gemma shrugged. “I’m just saying! If I were him, I’d be all over that.”  
  
Molly slipped out of the heels. “Doesn’t he like tall, leggy blonds?”  
  
“Just because those are the kinds of girls he’s been seen with doesn’t mean that’s his type,” Gemma replied.  
  
“Okay, but for the sake of my sanity, I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. I had to kiss him yesterday, and that was bad enough.” Molly closed the curtain to the changing booth while Gemma stood outside, still talking to her.  
  
“You guys kissed?!?!” Gemma giggled to herself.  
  
“It was for Jeff, because he won’t stop watching us. He doesn’t believe Harry and I are actually dating, so we had to do it. It was like a millisecond long, and we were both tired after sleeping on the plane. I really wish I’d had some gum, or something.” Molly furrowed her eyebrows as she replayed that moment. She opened the curtain and Gemma took the dress before she could say anything.  
  
“I’ve got little brother’s credit card, he said to buy you whatever you needed.” Gemma smiled and they rang up the dress and shoes.  
  
“Oh really? Then I think I need a few new purses, and couple more pairs of shoes,” Molly joked as she joined Gemma at the register.  
  
“I know you’re joking, but if we weren’t pressed for time I’d say go for it. What’s he going to make you do, return them? You’re his girlfriend, after all.” Gemma winked and handed ‘little brother’s credit card’ to the cashier.  
  
“We are definitely going to get along,” Molly smiled back at Gemma.  
  
“Totally. Now, time to get your hair done,” she smiled, and the two left, still giggling about Harry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I keep misspelling Gemma’s name as ‘Gemme’ because I have another story with a main character named Emme (short for Emmeline). Feel free to point it out to me if you see it misspelled in a chapter : )
> 
> The Tom mentioned in the story is Tom Glynn-Carney. I considered using Fionn, since she already knew him, but Tom is just too cute! I remember hearing in an interview that he had to leave the night of the premiere to appear in a play (The Ferrymen I think).

On their way to get their hair done, Gemma and Molly stopped by Harry’s place to drop off Molly’s suitcases and pick up her house key. Harry was busy enough that day as it was, but he spent his morning turning one of his guest bedrooms (the one closest to his own room) into Molly’s new bedroom. He hoped to finish up before Molly and Gemma arrived, but his manager made an unexpected visit, which was not out of the ordinary.  
  
“Come in, Jeff,” Harry shouted down the stairs before returning to work. Jeff eventually joined Harry and watched him with suspicion as Harry threw some new sheets on the mattress. “Can you grab that corner?” He asked, and Jeff obliged. As the two made the bed, Harry heard the unmistakable sound of his sister’s laugh outside.  
  
“This is the back entrance, no one really uses the front door, except Harry when he actually wants the paps to see him,” Gemma explained and Molly followed her inside. “Where is that brother of mine? Harold?!” She shouted, and Harry appeared at the top of the stairs, Jeff slightly behind him.  
  
“Sorry, I was just getting Molly’s...office set up,” he explained.  
  
“Office?” Jeff asked, and looked over the room, which contained a bed, a dresser, a closet, its own bathroom, but no desk or chair.  
  
“Molly’s a writer,” Harry answered, and downstairs, Gemma’s eyebrows shot up.  
  
“Yes, that’s how we met,” she turned to Molly. “And became friends.”  
  
“Molly, I wanted it to be a surprise,” Harry lied on the spot, “but I’m going to let you pick out a desk for your office.”  
  
Molly’s eyes shot open and she squealed with semi-mock delight. “Thank you Harry!”  
  
“Harry, get down here and carry your girlfriend’s heavy suitcase up to your room!” Gemma shouted, and Harry jumped a little before rushing down the stairs. He felt Jeff’s eyes on him as he gave Molly a hug and kissed her on the cheek before grabbing both of her suitcases and rushing back upstairs to place them in his room.  
  
“I’ll get out of your way soon, but I just stopped by because I needed to know Molly’s middle name,” Jeff asked Harry. “For her visa, of course.”  
  
 _‘Right.’_  Harry thought, and tried to recall what Molly had said her middle name was. ‘ _Anne? No Harry, that’s your sister’s middle name. But it begins with “An..”... Andrea, Anthony-no that’s not a girls name. Antelope-that’s not even a name…’_  
  
“Annabelle,” Harry remembered. “It was her grandmother’s name.” He smiled back down at Molly, proud he’d remembered, and then back at Jeff.  
  
“Thanks. I’ll see you later for the premier,” Jeff stated, and descended the stairs, nodding politely to Gemma and Molly on his way out.  
  
As the door clicked shut behind him, Gemma burst out laughing. “Who spit in his tea?”  
  
“We kinda did,” Molly answered and exchanged amused glances with Harry.  
  
“You two are killing me.” Gemma rolled her eyes and laughed. “So you’re a writer? Me too!” Gemma asked Molly as they climbed the stairs to check out her ‘office.’  
  
“Kinda. I have a deal to ghostwrite a book. I’ve done something like it before, and I occasionally write articles for a few sites. That’s how Harry and I met, actually,” Molly explained. “So this is my room?”  
  
“Yes, I hope it’s suitable,” Harry asked as he retrieved her suitcases from his room and put them in hers. “You’ve got your own bathroom, too.”  
  
Molly peaked through the bathroom door. “That is a massive bathtub!” She walked up to it, leaning on the edge of the tub. “Oh yes, this is definitely suitable,” she cooed and turned back to Harry.  
  
“I wasn’t joking about the desk, though I played it up a little for Jeff,” Harry smirked. “I know you have actual work to do, other than pretending being my ‘girlfriend’.”  
  
“That’s a full time job on it’s own,” Molly teased.  
  
“Let me show you the rest of the house.” Harry led Molly back downstairs and pointed out the kitchen, dining room, living room, etc. before ending in the entry way.  
  
“So is that it?” Molly peaked through the doorway to the dining room. “Is that the dining table from the song?”  
  
Harry laughed and felt a little embarrassed considering the first few lines of the song, though Molly’s teasing smirk eased those thoughts. “No,” he shook his head. “We wrote that one in Jamaica.”  
  
“So, were you just like, sitting at the dining table when you wrote the song? Is that where the name comes from?” She asked, still teasing, though slightly curious.  
  
“Yeah, something like that,” he nodded.  
  
“Because that’s a weird title. I just call it the masturbation song, because that’s all I can think of when I hear it,” Molly joked, and Harry blushed some more. “Doesn’t that bother you?” She turned to Gemma. “That your brother talks about himself jerking off in one of his songs?”  
  
“No, not really. He’s a teenaged boy, isn’t that all they do?” Gemma shrugged. “Besides, I don’t really listen to his music,” she added teasingly.  
  
“I’m not a teenager! I’m 23!” Harry corrected. “And a half!”  
  
Gemma and Molly burst out laughing and Harry’s cheeks turned pink. “Whatever, baby bro. We have to go and get our hairs done. See you at the premier.”  
  
Harry watched them return to Gemma’s car, and the extra pink color in his face slowly faded. He wasn’t sure why he was so embarrassed. Really, it was his own fault for setting them up as friends. He just hadn’t realized how quickly or how well they would get along. ‘But this is good, right?’ He kept reminding himself.  
  
Several hours later, Harry was on his way to the 'Dunkirk' world premier with Jeff and his girlfriend Glenne. They were going over responses to possible interview questions, like reviewing flashcards before an exam. Molly, Gemma, and Anne were in a different car, still quite far from the premier. They chatted excitedly until it was finally their turn to get out and walk the red carpet. Nobody really noticed them, though Harry’s fans recognized Anne and Gemma, and instantly took note of Molly in her tight black dress and shiny red heels.  
  
“You’ll be fine, just look confident and smile,” Gemma said quietly, sensing Molly was nervous. Molly took this advice to heart and smiled, showing off the red lipstick that matched her shoes. In a dress like this, she couldn’t help but feel confident. She and Gemma linked arms and made their way down the red carpet next to Anne. A couple fans called out to them, and they waved, before continuing toward the entrance.  
  
They came up behind Harry as he was just finishing an interview. Hearing his mom say his name, he turned to greet her. He froze as his eyes passed over Molly in her tight black dress, hugging all her curves in the best way. He swallowed hard and hoped that no one had noticed (except maybe Jeff, though he was nowhere in sight). “Hi mum, glad you could make it.” He gave her a quick hug before turning to acknowledge Gemma, and her ‘friend’ Molly.  
  
“We’ll see you in there,” Gemma called to him before the three made their way into the theater. They found a group of four seats together and sat down, putting Molly at the end next to one of the other Dunkirk actors, leaving a space between Gemma and Anne for Harry.  
  
“Hi, I’m Molly,” she introduced herself to the ginger haired actor.  
  
“Tom, nice to meet you,” he returned her greeting before they were interrupted by Harry.  
  
“Sorry,” he said, and stepped over the two to get to the seat Anne and Gemma had saved for him. “Gem, why don’t we switch seats. I think you can see better from over here. I’ve already seen it, anyway.”  
  
“But- okay,” Gemma started to protest, but obliged when she realized she couldn’t actually see very well now that someone tall had sat in front of them. However, she thought she and Molly should stay together for appearances, yet Molly seemed to really enjoy talking to Tom.  
  
Molly smoothed out her dress as she sat down again now that Harry had taken his seat. She noticed Harry eyeing her and smiled as a thought occurred to her. “In a black dress, she’s such an actress.” She smiled, and waited for Harry to acknowledge her joke.  
  
“I mean, you’re not wrong.” He nodded. “You are wearing a black dress, and at times, around a certain manager of mine, you are an actress.”  
  
Molly didn’t care that Harry didn’t find it as amusing as she did that she tried to work his lyrics into everyday conversation. However, she was finding Tom a much more interesting subject to talk to than Harry, at this moment, and turned to face him.  
  
“You play the one on the boat, right? With that lovely dark red sweater?” Molly asked him after picking out who he might have been in the trailer she’d seen.  
  
Tom smiled, “Yes, the preppy jumper, I call it.”  
  
“So, are you naturally ginger? Because in the movie you were blond,” Molly asked.  
  
“No, I’m usually blond. I’ve gone ginger for a play I’m doing,” Tom explained.  
  
“Oh, good, because I didn’t want to say I liked you better blond and hurt your feelings.” Molly laughed. “Though red is a suitable hair color for your complexion.”  
  
“Thanks?” Tom laughed. “I’m actually heading out soon to get ready for the play, that’s why I’m sitting in the aisle seat.”  
  
“Oh, so you’re double booked for the night.” Molly laughed.  
  
“Yes, though technically the play starts soon after the movie ends, but I have to be there earlier to warm up and stuff.” Tom explained. “You guys should come.” He looked between Molly and Harry and Gemma, not really sure what their situation was. Molly had said she and Gemma were friends, yet Harry insisted on sitting next to Molly and kept giving her surreptitious looks.  
  
“I’d love to come, but I have to go to the after party tonight,” Harry apologized. “Another time, though.”  
  
“I’d love to go.” Molly smiled. She’d been in London less than 24 hours and already had the chance to see a play in the west end? Besides, he was cute.  
  
Once the movie started, Molly was wrapped up in the film and almost didn’t notice Tom slipping her his number, with a note saying he’d have some tickets held for her, before he snuck out. She was also oblivious to Harry, in the seat beside her, looking tense and rigid, and slightly pissed off. His mind was far away from ‘Dunkirk’ and was startled when Molly grabbed his hand on the armrest during one of the many tense scenes.  
  
He turned to look at her, startled, and she mouthed ‘sorry’ before removing her hand. The rest of the movie she kept her hands to herself no matter how frightening or suspenseful the film got.  
  
Harry did not realize the movie had ended until the lights came up and the crowd was clapping. Molly leaned forward to talk around him to Gemma about going to the play, which they both agreed they should leave now to make it there on time. Playing the role of ‘besties’ well, the pair headed off arm in arm to make their way over to the theater Tom’s play was in.  
  
Harry was acutely aware that his mother was watching him with a consoling smile. “What?” He asked. “Was it that bad?”  
  
“The movie? No, hon, it was fantastic. You were wonderful, of course. But,” she had that smile again, like she felt bad for him, and he didn’t know why.  
  
“We’d better go so everyone else in this row can leave.” Harry stood up, taking his mom’s hand in his own. The two posed for a few pictures before they parted ways. Before Anne left Harry, she leaned in to give him a hug.  
  
“You looked jealous, that’s all.” she said before giving him a kiss goodbye.  
  
“What?” He said after her, and she turned around to wave goodbye. He didn’t have time to think about it as he was rushed off to the after party with most of the cast.  
  
When he got home late that night he expected to find Molly there, since the play had to have been over by then. He checked his phone, and saw Molly had texted him a few times. She was going out (without Gemma) with Tom and some of the cast members to get a drink after the play.  
  
 _‘Wow, she certainly does make friends fast’_  Harry joked to himself before heading up to bed.   
  
He was awoken an hour later by a phone call from her.  _‘Uh oh, I hope she’s not in trouble…’_  
  
“Hello?” He said groggily.  
  
“Harry, what’s your address?” Molly asked. “We’re in a cab, and I literally don’t know where you live!” Molly laughed, and Harry heard someone else in the cab. He was just beginning to wonder who ‘we’ meant, when he heard his voice.  
  
“We could just go back to my place,” Tom said to Molly.  
  
“No, no, they can’t see me there.” Molly replied before laughing. “Stop that, not yet!”  
  
“Umm,” Harry froze for a moment before giving her his address. He had to, since she needed to know where he (and now she) lived, but at the same time…. Maybe it wasn’t what it seemed. Harry tried to convince himself that as he desperately tried to fall back to sleep before Molly got home.  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Harry woke up early the next morning and could not get back to sleep. He lay in bed, listening, and could have sworn he could still hear the thumping of a headboard against the wall somewhere in his house. Even when he covered his head with his pillow he could still hear it - or maybe he was just imagining the sound. He got up and paced his room, not really sure what he would find if he wandered out into the hallway.  _‘Was he still here?’_  He thought, and this thought nibbled at his brain until he couldn’t take it anymore. He threw on his running clothes, pulled the hood of his hoodie firmly over his head and quickly made his way downstairs.  
  
 _‘Okay, her door is still shut, so she’s still asleep…’_  But this only fueled the thought gnawing at him. He tried to shake it out of his head, but this idea was firmly planted in his consciousness. He went for a run, as he often did, but stayed out longer than normal. He even stopped for breakfast and took his time eating it. He got his coffee to go, and as he walked home (he wasn’t going to run carrying coffee) he was sure it was late enough that he would be gone by now. He’d given them enough privacy, but this was his house, after all, and he shouldn’t avoid it just because his ‘girlfriend’ had brought a guy home last night.  
  
But it wasn’t just any guy; it was someone he knew, and had become friends with while they shot Dunkirk together. Someone he should have seen in a play last night, but he let Molly go on her own because he’d already promised to go to the after party. He should have been there, with her, then none of this would have happened. Or, maybe it would have happened differently… he mentally smacked himself and tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. ‘Damn, Harry, what’s gotten into you?’ He thought, but his mental conversation with himself was interrupted as he came upon his house and saw a familiar ginger head bobbing along the hedges lining the path to the back entrance of his house.  
  
 _‘Fuck.’_  Harry froze, his feet seemed unable to take him any closer to his house, as he watched that ginger head come to the end of the pathway and make a right onto the sidewalk, heading straight toward him.  
  
“Oh, hey!” Tom seemed surprised to see him, but kept his cheerful pace as he continued toward where Harry was planted.  
  
 _‘Damn she has really put a skip in his step,’_  Harry begrudgingly thought as he forced a smile at his co-star. “Morning,” he finally said.  
  
“Missed you last night, mate,” Tom said, and Harry’s face froze.  
  
 _‘They wanted me to join in?!?!’_  He tried to keep the thoughts invading his mind from showing, but his face must have displayed some of his confusion.  
  
“At the play?” Tom clarified.  
  
“Right.” He relaxed. “Sorry, I got caught up elsewhere. I’ll have to see it another time.”  
  
“No worries. Just let me know, and we can grab a pint after.” Tom smiled. “See you around.”  
  
Harry finally tore himself from the spot he’d frozen in and quickly walked down the pathway to the back door.  _‘This was probably how they’d come in last night’_  he thought as he unlocked the door, and pictured Molly leading Tom up the back steps and fiddling with her keys. He noticed the table in the entryway looked a bit disheveled, as if the items that were usually neatly arranged on the table had been pushed out of the way suddenly.  
  
 _‘Had they stopped to make out here before making their way upstairs?’_  Harry thought, and this time, could not stop his mind from wandering. ‘ _Or maybe they just did it right here?’_  Harry took a step back from the table. But honestly, had he not previously done the same thing? Brought a girl home from a club and fucked her right here in the entryway? Absolutely. That’s one of the reasons he liked this table so much, because it was just the right height for him.  
  
A sound drew him out of this lewd thoughts and he listened for a moment. It was coming from upstairs...was that...someone singing? He followed the not-so-angelic sound until he ended up right outside of Molly’s bedroom. The door was open, so he carefully crept in. That tight black dress she’d worn to the premier was on the floor, and remembering the way it had hugged her curves sent an unexpected spark through him.  
  
Her bathroom door was open ajar, and it sounded like she was in the bath. Singing. One of his songs, quite off key. Somehow, this set that unexpected spark ablaze and he boldly, without thinking, pushed the door and let it swing all the way open. Molly stopped singing immediately and stared at Harry for a second in shock.  
  
“Harry, what are you doing? I’m taking a bath!” She tried to submerge herself in the tub below the bubbles.  
  
“I can see that,” he said quietly, and slowly walked into the bathroom.  
  
“What are you doing?” Molly squealed and tried to rearrange the bubbles to cover herself.  
  
“I came back from a run and heard you up here, thought you might be in distress,” he teased, though his eyes told a different story.  
  
Molly rolled her eyes. “I thought no one was home. Besides, can’t a girl sing her favorite song from her ‘boyfriend’s’ album?”  
  
He suddenly moved closer and leaned on the edge of the tub to look her in the eye. “Even after she’s fucked one of his friends, in his own house?”  
  
Molly stopped trying to cover herself up and looked up into his eyes. They were dark and intense, but he didn’t look angry. There was definitely some emotion he was trying to hide, and Molly searched his face to figure it out. She rolled onto her side, and, keeping her breasts pressed against the bathtub, slid up the tall side of the bathtub and rested her crossed arms on the edge.  
  
“Harry Styles...are you...jealous?” She asked as she finally fit the pieces together. He took a step back so they weren’t so close, and leaned up against the sink.  
  
“What? No…” He shook his head, but he seemed flustered.  
  
“Yes you are,” Molly continued staring at him, a smile forming on her lips. “But why? Are you jealous because I could bring some random person home to sleep with, with no consequence?”  
  
“He’s not a random person,” Harry nearly spat.  
  
Molly’s eyebrows shot up as she figured it out. “Oh! No, you are jealous of Tom.”  
  
“Am not,” Harry replied and looked down at his feet, shifting his position slightly.  
  
“Yeah? Then why are you in my bathroom right now, watching me bathe?” Molly teased and slid up the side of the tub some more, exposing a little more (but not too much) of her ample breasts.  
  
Harry averted his eyes and sighed. “Molly, stop.”  
  
She giggled and slipped back down into the tub. “I’m just having fun. Besides, if you didn’t want to see me naked, why are you still in here?”  
  
“I just…” he looked around but could not think of a reasonable explanation. “Wanted to make sure you had towels and everything you needed.”  
  
“Clearly I do, but thank you.” Molly replied, but Harry seemed unwilling to leave. “Is that all?”  
  
“Is ‘Only Angel’ really your favorite song?” He blurted out  
  
“Off your album? Yeah, I guess so.” Molly answered, and it was quiet for a moment. “Hey, can we maybe finish this conversation when I’m dressed?”  
  
“Right, of course.” Harry jumped up and took a step toward the door.  
  
“And can you close the door?” Molly shouted after him, and he shut the bathroom door on his way out. He shut her bedroom door, as well, and walked into his own room next door. He closed the door and leaned back on it, slowly sliding to the floor.  
  
“Oh, Jesus,” he sighed and tried to shake his head clear of any thoughts having to do with Molly.  
  
While Harry took what Molly assumed was a very cold shower (judging by the way he kept awkwardly adjusting his running shorts), Molly finished up her bath and got dressed in one of her favorite skirts, and a top that complimented her shape. She was feeling quite confident for perhaps (very possibly) giving Harry an erection. ‘ _Was he really jealous because I’d slept with Tom?’_  She thought and laughed as she put her earrings on.  _‘I certainly did not see this coming’._  
  
She made her way downstairs for breakfast and heard Harry at the other end of his house with his guitar, playing something she’d never heard before. He stopped when he realized she was in the kitchen and slowly made his way across the house as they both tried to piece together what exactly they would say to the other.  
  
He appeared in the kitchen and leaned on the counter top, not exactly looking at Molly. “Have a nice shower?” She finally asked, and shot a teasing smile at him.  
  
He blushed, but otherwise gave no answer. After a few moments of silence, Molly turned to face him. “Is the angel in ‘Hey Angel’ the same angel in ‘Only Angel’?” Molly asked.  
  
Harry laughed. “You’re perceptive, but no, I didn’t write ‘Hey Angel’. Wish I had, it’s a good song.”  
  
The pair settled into silence again as Molly continued eating breakfast. When she’d finally worked up the nerve, she turned to look at him again. “Okay, if you don’t want me bringing guys back here, I understand. But I thought it would be safer, that way, Jeff wouldn’t see me coming home this morning, or if he showed up to visit unexpectedly and you had to explain why your girlfriend wasn’t here. Or if I showed up wearing last night’s clothes.” Molly looked over at Harry for his reaction but he remained silent. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t quite know how to say it, so she kept talking. “Or is it because I hooked up with someone?”  
  
He shrugged, but still didn’t say anything.  
  
“Is it because it was Tom? Should I avoid sleeping with people you know?” Molly asked. “Honestly, I didn’t plan on it; it just kind of happened. That kind of thing doesn’t happen to me very often, I was just having fun.” She started to feel like he was judging her, the way he kept staring without saying anything.  
  
But Harry kept his mouth shut because he didn’t want to say anything he’d regret. No, he was not angry, not exactly. Molly took his silence as her cue to keep talking.  
  
“You never said I wasn’t allowed to hook up with anyone, and well, sometimes a girl just needs a good boning.” Molly said and took her empty plate back to the kitchen, where Harry was laughing at her terminology.  
  
“I understand that, trust me.” Harry finally spoke and Molly turned around to face him, leaning on the counter across from him. “You could have just, asked.”  
  
“Ask permission?” Molly raised her eyebrows.”I didn’t think I needed-”  
  
Harry interrupted her. “No, I mean you could have just asked  _me_. You’re not the only one pretending to be in a committed monogamous relationship.”  
  
Molly stared at him dumbstruck. “Me? Ask you? To fornicate?”  
  
“Do you not use the word ‘sex’?” Harry again laughed at her choice of words. “I’m supposed to be your boyfriend, after all, isn’t that what boyfriends are for?”  
  
“But, you said nothing physical…” Molly was still in shock and stared back at Harry with her mouth hung open, her heart beating faster and faster.  
  
“I know, and at the time, I meant it. I didn’t want you to think I was just keeping you around for sex. I really do value your opinion and need your help.”  
  
“I wouldn’t have minded that,” Molly said quietly, still wide eyed.  
  
“Did you even consider me?” Harry asked and bit his lip, embarrassed to have even asked that.  
  
“Oh my god yes. I’ve been considering you since I was 16,” Molly answered a little breathlessly, and Harry laughed.  
  
“I don’t need to know what teenage Molly did while thinking about my awkward 17-year-old self.” Harry blushed.  
  
“The fanfiction I wrote back then is probably still online if you really want to know.” Molly laughed, and Harry blushed even more.  
  
“No, I don’t need to know you wrote fanfiction about me.” he laughed and hid his head in his hands.  
  
“So,” Molly said after a pause. “We’d be like friends with benefits?”  
  
Harry nodded. “I guess so, I’ve never actually done anything like that before.”  
  
“And when do those benefits kick in? Is this like health insurance benefits? Does it start on the first of the month?” Molly jokingly asked, but slowly moved around the counter towards Harry.  
  
“It can start whenever.” Harry grinned, and got that dark look in his eyes again.  
  
“Like, right now? Is right now too soon?” Molly asked and bit her lip, reaching out to run her index finger down the front of his shirt.  
  
“Right now’s perfect.” Harry took her hand to whisk her up the stairs to his bedroom.  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Slightly NSFW (bit of sex mentioned…)  
  
  
  
Jeff could not have picked a better (or worse) time to randomly drop by Harry’s house unannounced. He thought he’d catch them faking it, or that he’d find that guy Molly reportedly went out for drink with the previous night.  
  
But the timing was perfect.  
  
Molly and Harry had not actually made it all the way up to Harry’s bedroom, as they intended, but instead settled for the living room couch. They didn’t plan it this way, but the couch could easily be seen through the front windows, and the curtains were parted just enough to give Jeff a full view of Molly’s bouncing tits as she rode Harry’s cock.  
  
Yes, it was quite clear to Jeff they were having actual (not fake or staged) sexual intercourse, like normal couples do. He couldn’t see his face, but he saw Harry’s tattoos (though, that could be replicated on someone else…).  
  
Molly opened her eyes just in time to make eye contact with Jeff, outside, frozen in the walkway toward Harry’s house. Her hands shot up to her chest to cover herself up and she frantically tried to say something to Harry (though he was making it quite difficult for her to talk, let alone think clearly).  
  
“Jeff’s here! He’s right outside! He’s watching us!” She managed to whisper.  
  
Whether it’s because he was about to finish, or because he wanted to continue this ‘display’ to convince Jeff their relationship was real, Harry whimpered, “Don’t stop,” to Molly. But she was frozen in place, knowing Jeff’s eyes were on her, suddenly immune to Harry’s attempts to get her to keep moving. Realizing she wasn’t going to, he flipped her over so he could finish things off on top.  
  
Jeff got the full view of his client’s face and chest as he finished off those last few thrusts before exploding in ecstasy. There was definitely nothing fake about that. If they had known Jeff was coming over, Jeff might have thought they’d planned it. But his visit was unexpected, so he had actually caught them in the act.  
  
Jeff retreated to his car and sat for a moment before deciding to leave. He could wait to talk to Harry some other time. They were clearly busy…  
  
Molly and Harry got cleaned up, and now that the sexual tension between the two of them had been assuaged, they could focus on the task at hand: fixing Harry’s image.  
  
“Okay Harry, let’s get down to business.” Molly sat down in front of him.  
  
“To defeat the huns,” Harry sang, and Molly’s jaw dropped.  
  
“You’ve seen ‘Mulan’?!” She squealed. “I love that movie!”  
  
“Hey, you’re not the only one who can sneak song lyrics into everyday conversation.” He smirked.  
  
“I usually stick to your own songs or song titles, but if you want to incorporate my favorite childhood Disney movies into that, it’s on. Actually, this is a good segue back to the topic on hand.” Molly paused. “I think you’re a bit like Simba.”  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows. “I’m a lion cub?”  
  
“No, because-”  
  
“Are you Nala?” He interrupted.  
  
“No! Absolutely not. I am not in this metaphor.”  
  
“Is Jeff Scar?”  
  
Molly sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry, does sex give you ADD? No, you are like Simba, because you just can’t wait to be king.”  
  
“Sex-induced ADD, I like the sound of that.” Harry snickered.  
  
“Harold! Focus!” Molly rolled her eyes.  
  
“Okay, I am Simba. You are not Nala. Jeff is maybe Scar.” Harry nodded. “I just can’t wait to be king. Meaning….like Elvis?”  
  
“Maybe. I hadn’t intended to take this metaphor in that direction, but that works. What I’m saying is, you seem like you want to be accepted for your music, or for being a serious musician...you want that kind of recognition, but you don’t want to have to go through the whole process.” Molly paused to make sure he was listening. “Your management has tried to sell you as this legendary rock star, and people aren’t buying it because that’s not how you do it. You can’t just declare that you’re a legend and expect people to go along with it. It’s like that episode of ‘The Office’ where-”  
  
“The American version or the original British version?” Harry interrupted to ask.  
  
“The American version. But anyway, Michael Scott declares bankruptcy by announcing to the office ‘I declare bankruptcy!” Molly stopped to giggle at her impression. “But that’s not how it works. It’s like a 12 step program or something.”  
  
“So,” Harry said after a moment. “Becoming a legendary rock star is a 12 step program.”  
  
“Something like that. I’m not an expert, so I couldn’t tell you what those 12 steps were, but you’ve skipped right to step 12 and expected everyone to go along with it. Or, your management has, rather. Maybe they said something like, ‘you’re already famous, we can skip the first 11 steps,’ and you thought, ‘cool, let’s do this.’ But you maybe started on step 2 or 3, not 11.” Molly could see the hurt in his face, and felt bad for saying this, but it wasn’t personal and he knew that.  
  
“It’s my fault, really, for surrounding myself with ‘yes men’ who thought they could profit from this. I mean, really, for them, it comes down to money. Especially considering how much money they’ve poured into this album and promotion for it, they’re hoping to get a lot in return.”  
  
“But you don’t care about that?” Molly felt she already knew the answer, but had to hear Harry say it.  
  
“No, not really, as long as we break even. I’ve made enough with 1D to last a lifetime, as long as I don’t go crazy with it. I just didn’t want to have to start over from the bottom, you know?” Harry looked back at Molly, and she nodded. “Maybe because 1D started out big, I thought this would be like that. But now I know that’s not how it works.”  
  
“Well, you certainly didn’t have to start from square one again. But the real issue is, what are we going to do about it now? We certainly can’t change what’s already happened, but we can stop the damage and try to mend it. You’ve been more active on social media, that’s a good start. I know you’re not one for posting selfies, but your fans really enjoyed the one you posted on your way to the ‘Dunkirk’ premier.”  
  
“Jeff was so mad when I posted that.” He grinned. “I think that’s why he came over today. He texted me and said ‘Tried to stop by this morning, guess you’re busy. We need to talk later, it’s important’.”  
  
“Uh oh, he used the ‘we need to talk’ line. You either have detention or he’s going to break up with you,” Molly teased.  
  
“I wish we could break up, but we’re both under contract.” Harry sighed.  
  
“What if you broke the contract?”  
  
Harry shook his head. “He could sue me, it could get so much worse.”  
  
“I think you’re going to have to talk to him, tell him you don’t like the way things are going. Tell him how you’d like things to be and try to work it out.”  
  
“The thing is, I don’t know what I want.” Harry admitted, and looked down at his hands.  
  
“Well, I guess I’m the Pumba and Timon in this metaphor, the outside third party who’s going to help you get back on track.” Molly sighed.  
  
Harry eyed her. “Are you really an outside third party? After…” He gestured over toward the couch where just hours ago they had been enraptured in passionate coitus.  
  
“Yes, we were just having fun.” Molly brushed him off.  
  
“Okay, but I don’t remember Pumba and Timon having sex with Simba,” Harry joked, and drew a giggle out of Molly.  
  
“Not in the PG version!” She laughed and Harry cringed. “I’m kidding, that would be nasty."  
  
“Is it weird that I want to watch ‘The Lion King’ now?” Harry asked.  
  
“No, so do I! Besides, I’ve insulted your business practices enough for one day, I think we need a break.” Molly leaned back in her seat and watched as Harry pulled the movie up on Netflix. She watched him closely and tried to catch any sign that she’d hurt his feelings, but he seemed like he had already known most of the things she’d brought up.  
  
 _‘If he already knows where he went wrong, what does he need me for?’_  Molly thought.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just my opinion, I don’t know the specifics, and I am no expert, but this is an educated guess. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and I’m not trying to change your mind about Harry. This is just fanfiction, and I hope you can have as much fun reading it as I have had writing it : )
> 
> PS: For those of you who haven’t seen ‘The Office’ here is the bankruptcy clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-m3RtoguAQ  
> (It’s hilarious!)


	9. Chapter 9

While Harry attended the 'Dunkirk' premiere in France, Molly worked on the novel she was ghost writing. Or she tried to, at least. She had been trying to figure out exactly what Harry expected from her, and she realized maybe her 'job' went beyond just telling him where he went wrong with his first album promo and image.  
  
When she'd asked him what he had intended, what he had actually wanted for his album, he said he didn't know what he wanted. Molly had joked that she was Pumba and Timon to Harry's Simba, but she was trying to figure out what that really meant. She was starting to think this went way beyond the scope of her being a former 1D fan with a marketing degree. When he returned from France, she got right back to working with Harry to sort this out.  
  
One of the things that bothered her the most, she and Harry hadn't had a chance to talk about yet: his style. Harry had worn a bunch of bright and exciting suits while promoting his album. While they were fun to look at, they did not quite seem natural on him, and didn't exactly fit the music he was playing. Harry has said multiple times that this album is honest, and very 'him', so Molly wanted to find something that was truly 'Harry Styles' for him to wear.  
  
"Someone said you look like a Gucci mannequin like the clothes are wearing you, instead of the other way around," Molly carefully worded as she hopped on the couch next to him.  
  
"Sometimes I feel like that." Harry answered quietly.  
  
"Your stylist...is he well? Perhaps he doesn't know what year it is?" Molly joked.  
  
"Ha, very funny," Harry laughed. "He wants me to look like Prince, or David Bowie, very '70s."  
  
"But why? It's not the '70s, and thank god for that."  
  
"Why is that?" Harry raised his eyebrow.  
  
"So many reasons, like, technology, for example. I don't know what I'd do without my phone! But, back to your clothes." Molly looked him in the eye. "You shouldn't let your clothes talk for you. It's certainly a part of your overall image, but it shouldn't be the main talking point."  
  
“And what do you think I should wear?” Harry asked and raised an eyebrow, eager to see what she'd come up with.  
  
"You should wear all white, to show that you're a blank canvas, starting over," Molly half jokingly suggested.  
  
"All white? I'd probably get it dirty," Harry retorted.  
  
"What about some tight, white, pants?" Molly smirked.  
  
"Molly Winthrope, what are you suggesting?" Harry laughed.  
  
"Nothing!" She squealed with laughter. "Just, that you always wore black skinny jeans in 1D, so if you wore white skinny jeans, or something like it, it would show that you're different, but not too different; underneath, you're still the same Harry."  
  
"That kind of makes sense, but isn't it wrong to wear white after Labor Day or something?"  
  
"I think Harry Styles can wear whatever the fuck he wants," Molly stated. "Besides, how long after Labor Day are you supposed to wait to wear white again?"  
  
"I'm just not sure white is my color." Harry replied skeptically.  
  
"We can at least try."  
  
"What if I just wore the black skinny jeans again?" He suggested. "You said the fans liked that look."  
  
"I liked it, for sure, I think others liked it much better than what you're doing now. We just need to strip away the layers, get down to the natural 'Harry' underneath the floral, sparkly suits.”  
  
"You want me to strip?" Harry gave her a cheeky grin and reached for the hem of his shirt, jokingly lifting it just high enough to show the butterfly before Molly stopped him.  
  
"Don't distract me, I don't need that right now." She closed her eyes and avoided his exposed abs. She sighed, "what was I saying? Damn you and your distracting body, Harry."  
  
"You think I'm distracting?" Harry laughed and pulled his shirt back down.  
  
"Very. Okay, I was talking about stripping, that's right." Molly put her hands to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut, as if she were trying to erase that image of Harry's naked torso. "Stripping paint, not clothes. Like, this fugly table my mom bought at a yard sale-"  
  
"You think I'm a fugly table?" Harry joked, and pretended to be upset.  
  
"Yes. The table was chipping paint like crazy and you could see all the layers and different colors of paint. It looked like someone repainted it every time the table got a chip or a scratch, just threw a new coat of paint on to cover it up." Molly glanced up at Harry to see if he was following her metaphor.  
  
"You want to paint me?"  
  
"No, I want to take all the paint off. Over the years you've been painted as boyfriend material, the womanizer, the cute charming one, the villain, Taylor's ex boyfriend, etc., and now, the rock star. I want to take all those layers off, and see the real Harry."  
  
"So, what happened with your mum's fugly table?" Harry asked after a pause.  
  
"She stripped the layers of paint off, and underneath was a beautiful oak table that just needed some sanding and a little wood oil to finish it off."  
  
"You want to sand me, too? Ouch," Harry joked, though Molly could see the cogs turning in his brain. "So, does your mum refinish furniture often? Is she in interior decorating?"  
  
Molly snorted a sarcastic laugh. "My mom is a stay at home suburban wife, and she goes through phases of hobbies on a regular basis. Refinishing furniture was one for a while, another was gardening (though I think that was just an excuse to hire a cute gardener when she messed up), and currently, she's really into doing paint nights, mostly because they serve wine."  
  
"Your mum sounds like my kind of lady," Harry smirked, and Molly really hoped he was joking.  
  
"She's taken, sorry. Kind of married, you know, to my father," Molly went along with his joke.  
  
"Damn, I'll just have to settle for you," Harry teased, and again, Molly wondered if he was joking.  
  
"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "Though, if she knew you were even slightly interested, she'd be on the next flight over here."  
  
"That's right, you said she was a directioner mom. Well," Harry leaned forward, "how convenient that we're going to New York in a couple days."  
  
"New York? Why?"  
  
"For the premiere."  
  
"You want me to go to the premiere?"  
  
"No, I just think you should come with me. You know, for appearances, and what not," he added.  
  
"Right, Jeff." Molly nodded. "You don't actually want to meet my mom, right?"  
"No, I don't think we need to complicate this by having your mom try to sleep with me."  
  
"Or visa versa," Molly laughed. "We are way off topic."  
  
"Sorry," he replied with a smirk.  
  
"Okay, speaking of Jeff, some people joke that he keeps you locked up in his attic. That's why he's always with you when you're seen in public, like he's your handler. You should go somewhere without him."  
  
"My handler?" Harry snickered. "We're friends, we go out together sometimes."  
  
"Friends?" Molly shook her head. "Friends don't ruin other friends careers."  
  
"He's not ruining it-"  
  
"Right, it's a group effort. But he's at the head of that group, being your manager and all. What did you do to him to deserve this revenge? Sleep with his girlfriend, or little sister? Or, more appropriately for you, his mother?" Molly teased, and Harry's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"His mother?" He laughed in surprise. "No, as far as I know, I haven't slept with anyone he cares about. I don't think this is intentional on his part, he just..."  
  
"Really sucks at his job?" Molly offered.  
  
"No, he's off to a rocky start, that's all." Harry looked like he didn't quite believe it himself, and Molly was not sold.  
  
"Has he brainwashed you, is that it? Is it hypnotism? If he says pineapple, will you just magically fall asleep?"  
  
"No, I mean, I hope not?"  
  
"Regardless of hypnotism, I think it would good for you to be seen without him a few times. Go out on your own, if that's possible, or take a different friend - and I don't mean Nick Grimshaw. Someone you're friends with outside of work."  
  
"Outside of work? You see, that's a problem, because work and life have become," Harry enmeshed his fingers together, "one."  
  
"That's going to be a tough layer of paint to remove." Molly said seriously.  
  
“And what if,” Harry said after a moment, returning her serious tone. “What if there’s nothing left under the paint? What if the paint has eaten away at the wood, tarnished it, tainted it beyond repair?”  
  
“Then you’ll need a lot of sanding, and a lot of wood oil.”  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about men's fashion, I just really want to see harry in tight white pants! 
> 
> Harry is quite good at changing the subject, have you seen his interviews? I don’t think he’s dodging questions, I think he just gets off topic easily (as we’ve seen here)
> 
> Things got kind of serious there at the end, but it kind of had to.


	10. Chapter 10

“Harry Styles’ hair style.” Molly smirked. “That’s a tongue twister.”  
  
“Thanks, I’ve never heard that one before,” Harry answered sarcastically, and looked back at his reflection the mirror. “What’s wrong with this?”  
  
Molly shrugged. “Nothing, but you should still think about it. Some people liked it longer, I know I did. I always wanted to play with it, maybe braid it. It just looked so luscious, and… what?” Molly realized Harry was staring at her, slightly amused.  
  
“Nothing, please, continue gushing about my hair,” he joked, and Molly was about to give him a snarky reply when Jeff arrived. Harry slipped his arm around her waist for appearances, and she leaned into him. After spending her formative teen years of conditioning herself into loving him through fan-worship, she couldn't help the butterflies that flitted through her stomach each time he did that.  
  
“You guys ready?” Jeff asked, and they both nodded. “Alright, we have to get to the airport.”  
  
Harry and Molly grabbed their bags and headed out to Jeff’s car, and while Harry passed Jeff as he held the door open, Jeff leaned in and whispered, “You aren’t going to carry your girl’s bag for her?”  
  
“She’s an independent woman, she can carry her own bag,” Harry whispered back, not hiding the acid in his tone. Jeff backed off, but this put Harry in a bad mood the rest of the night.  
  
Molly didn’t notice his mood change, and worked on the book she was ghost writing on their flight to New York. Harry was busy working on something with his publicist, so Jeff took the opportunity to talk to Molly.  
  
“How’s your book coming?” He asked conversationally as he sat himself down across from her.  
  
“Well, it’s not actually my book, they just tell me what to write. But I think it’s going well,” Molly answered, and got back to work.  
  
“So, how does that work? I’ve never worked with a ghost writer before,” Jeff asked, and he seemed genuinely interested, so Molly actually took the time to explain it nicely. After all, she had no reason to be mean to Jeff, considering she and Harry were the ones conning him.  
  
“Basically, the writer of the book sends me their notes, outlines, etc, and I put it into novel form. Then the author goes through that and puts their touch on it.” Molly concluded.  
  
“So it just saves some time for the author,” Jeff nodded. “Kind of like how Harry wrote his album, right?”  
  
 _‘Was he joking?!?!_ ' Molly stared at him for a moment. “What?”  
  
“You know, that’s what they’re saying. People who don’t like Harry’s album think he had someone write it for him, and he took the credit for it. It’s not true, but whatever.” Jeff shrugged, and looked like he was trying way too hard to sound casual.  
  
“I hadn’t heard that,” Molly answered. She’d heard plenty of things about Harry’s album, and that was not one of them. Was Jeff trying to start something? Was he trying to plant an idea in her head, hoping this theory would show up on one of those ‘former Harrie’ blogs?  
  
“So, that article you wrote about Harry a few weeks ago,” Jeff started.  
  
“Actually, it was about ‘Dunkirk’, I interviewed several members of the cast, including Harry,” Molly corrected.  
  
“So, how does that work? Can you write whatever you want? If you wrote, say, another piece on Harry, would they publish it?”  
  
“Umm, no, that’s not how it works. Are you trying to get me to write something about Harry? Are you that desperate to get his name out there that you want his own girlfriend to risk her job just to get some propaganda on the small website she occasionally freelances for?”  
  
Across the plane, Harry heard the change in Molly’s tone and thought perhaps it was time he stepped in.  
  
“Love, why don’t you take a break from that for a while.” He placed his hand on the back of her laptop before slowly closing it. She looked up at him, and they exchanged a barely perceptible look. There was a glint in his eye she recognized, so she went along with it.  
  
“You’re right, Harbear, I could use a distraction.” She raised her eyebrow slightly, indicating she was up for whatever he suggested.  
  
He spoke quietly, like he didn’t want to be heard, but it was clear to Molly that he did in fact want Jeff to hear this. “I don’t think you’ve been inducted into the mile high club, yet.”  
  
Molly drew in a short breath when Harry’s words hit her. “You’re right, I have not,” she replied with a coy smile, and the flush in her cheeks was 100% real.  
  
“Then why don’t we fix that.” He smirked, and took her hand as he helped her up. She had her hands all over him as he led her to the plane’s tiny bathroom, and he locked the door after the two squeezed into the small space. To make things easier, Harry lifted Molly so she was on the sink, then leaned back against the door and sighed. “It worked,” he whispered.  
  
Molly stared at him. “Soooo, are we going to actually have sex, or just pretend?”  
  
“Oh, um, I hadn’t…” Harry scratched his head. “I didn’t think we’d actually do it.”  
  
“Harry,” Molly sighed frustrated. “You can’t look at me like that, and say those kinds of things, if you don’t actually plan on going through with it. I mean, obviously you can, that's your prerogative," she quickly added.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t realize I’d have that much of an effect on you.” He was starting to change his mind.  
  
“Really? After last time? You thought, what, I’d had one taste of Harry Styles’ dick, and that was enough for me?” Molly shook her head. “The opposite, honey.”  
  
“You didn’t actually taste it though…” Harry interjected with a smirk.  
  
“I meant metaphorically!” Molly snapped. “Sorry, I’m just super horny, now.”  
  
Harry laughed quietly. “Sorry, I don’t even have a condom with me,” he checked his pockets, though he was sure of it.  
  
“That’s okay,” Molly reached into her bra and pulled out a condom. “What? It’s good to be prepared, a girl’s gotta look out for herself.”  
  
Harry could not stop giggling. “Sorry, I’m just not...you know...ready.” Harry made some vague hand motions to go along with that statement.  
  
Undeterred, Molly pushed on. “I can fix that easily. I just assumed you were, since you suggested this.”  
  
“No, I just wanted to get you away from Jeff. You seemed like you were about to kill him.”  
  
“Oh, don’t mention Jeff, not while we’re trying to have sex,” Molly groaned.  
  
“We’re not having sex, we’re both fully clothe."  Harry smirked. “Except you, I don’t really know why you took your shirt off.”  
  
“For authenticity!” She hissed. “Listen, if you don’t want to do it, that’s fine, but you’re the one that mentioned joining the mile high club. Obviously you meant me, joining, since you’re like the president of that club.”  
  
Harry snickered. “Why am I the president of the mile high club? You know it’s not an actual club, right?”  
  
  
“Ugh, Harry,” Molly moaned. “Just fuck me already before I find someone else to do it. Remember what happened with Tom?”  
  
Harry felt his cheeks turn red at the mention of his ginger-haired friend, and that inexplicable jealousy he had felt last time coursed through his veins. “Well, he’s not around, is he.”  
  
“No, but we’re going to New York, I have plenty of friends from college who wouldn’t mind meeting up for a booty call.” Molly cocked her head and eyed Harry, as if to say ‘your move’ and watched as he bit his lip. Something had clearly changed in his demeanor; his eyes were darker, his cheeks were flushed, and he seemed inexplicably out of breath.  
  
“Oh, Molly Winthrope, you got me.” He shook his head and leaned forward to kiss her. “You’re right, we’re supposed to be ‘friends with benefits’, and what kind of a friend would I be if I left you in this state?”  
  
“Need this?” She took the condom out of her bra again.  
  
“Absolutely.” Harry grabbed it, ripping the foil package open with his teeth.  
  
  
***  
  
  
When they emerged from the bathroom, adjusting their clothes and flattening their messed up hair, it was clear to not only Jeff, but Harry’s publicist and everyone else on the plane, what had just happened. Anyone who had any doubts about the legitimacy of their relationship were now otherwise convinced. Harry and Molly spent the rest of the flight curled up sleeping at the back of the plane, and nobody really wanted to bother them.  
  
When they arrived at the hotel in New York, his assistant gave Harry and Molly their room keys, which they soon realized went to the same room, of course. This room had only one bed, of course, because they were dating.  
  
“I’m not really sure what I was expecting,” Molly said and fell onto the bed.  
  
“There’s not even a couch.” Harry looked around the room. “What kind of hotel room doesn’t have a couch?”  
  
“You could sleep in the bathtub?” Molly suggested.  
  
“What? Why do I have to sleep in the tub? I mean, we just had sex in an airplane loo, we can’t share a bed?” Harry laughed, but didn’t quite find the situation that funny.  
  
“This is different. That was passionate, in the heat of the moment. This,” she gestured at the bed, “would be too intimate.”  
  
Harry sighed. “Right, and sex is not intimate,” he said, more to himself.  
  
“Not the way we do it,” Molly laughed and sat up. “Okay, my parents are only about an hour out of the city, I think it would be logical, even to Jeff, if I stayed with them.”  
  
“I guess so.” Harry shrugged.  
  
Molly stood up and grabbed her bag. “Just tell Jeff I got homesick or something, and wanted to visit my parents.”  
  
As the door clicked shut behind her, Harry slumped on the bed and sighed. ‘Alone in a hotel room…’ Suddenly the lyrics to his own song, ‘From the Dining Table’ snuck into his head, and he laughed to himself.  
  
“Now that’s ironic, right?” He said out loud, to no one in particular.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope it doesn't look like Molly is trying to pressure Harry into sex, and I hope she sounds kind of teasing? If not, let me know and I don’t mind changing it.


	11. Chapter 11

The morning after Harry finished up his interviews for Dunkirk, he and Jeff were ready to head to the airport when Jeff got a ‘great’ idea.  
  
“Let’s pick up Molly on the way there,” Jeff suggested to Harry. “Save her the cab fare.”  
  
Harry's heart started beating faster and he tried to think of a way out of it. “I think her parents are going to drive her. They really miss her, I guess. She’s an only child, you know.”  
  
“We’ve got some extra time to spare.” Jeff checked his watch. They had an extra two hours to spare, conveniently the length of the trip to Molly’s parents and back.  
  
“I can ask her…” Harry pulled out his phone and frantically texted Molly. She was much better at coming up with these kinds of plans than he was.  
  
M: Shit Harry this is not a good time  
  
H: What do I say to him??  
  
M: He’s obviously suspicious because I haven’t been around, so we’d better do it. I’ll try to get rid of my mom, my dad should be easy enough to deal with.  
  
Harry swallowed hard. He was going to have to meet his ‘girlfriend's’ dad, and make it look real enough for his manager to believe.  
  
Luckily for Molly, her mother was heading out to her weekly drawing class (the kind where they draw nude models) and she wouldn’t be back for a few hours. She kept going on about how nice the last model had looked, and hoped they had him again. Both Molly and her dad rolled their eyes as she left, and it was quiet for a while as the two finished breakfast.  
  
Molly sighed. “Dad, I need to tell you something, now that mom’s not here. And you have to promise to keep it a secret, I don’t want her to know about this.”  
  
He put down his newspaper and looked her over. “Did you get yourself knocked up at that new job of yours in London?”  
  
“No, what?!” She shook her head. “Why do people keep thinking that? No, it is about that job in London though. I actually have a….boyfriend.”  
  
Her father raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”  
  
Molly knew her dad had never paid attention to her One Direction obsession, beyond dishing out hundreds of dollars on concert tickets and memorabilia, so it’s very likely he doesn’t even know who Harry is. Especially with his hair shorter, it’s likely he wouldn’t recognize him from the posters she had in her bedroom in high school. “His name is Harry, and he’ll be here in 20 minutes to pick me up for the airport.”  
  
“Oh, I actually get to meet this guy?” Her dad teased.  
  
“Yes, and be nice to him. I have to pack, please wear something other than that robe when he’s around.” Molly left to pack her suitcase and texted Harry the details.  
20 minutes later, she tapped her foot nervously as she sat in the living room with her suitcase. Her dad returned from getting dressed and motioned to his outfit. “There, no robe. I’m fully dressed for your new boyfriend.”  
  
A car in the driveway startled Molly and she jumped out of her seat.  
  
“I got the door.” Her dad was at the front door before Molly had a chance to interject. He opened the door and smiled broadly at his guest, and his guest’s manager. “I’m Stephen, please call me Steve.”  
  
Molly was instantly at his side, trying to introduce Harry, and to catch his reaction. “Dad, this is my boyfriend Harry, and his, uh, friend, Jeff.”  
  
Jeff smiled at the mention of his his name. “May I use your bathroom?” He asked, making an excuse for his presence.  
  
“Of course, it’s just down this hallway,” Molly directed him, while trying to keep an eye on her dad and Harry. She was more nervous than she had ever been introducing a real boyfriend to her parents.  
  
“You look a bit familiar, are you an actor?” Her dad eyed Harry closely as he tried to figure out where he might know him from.  
  
Molly laughed loudly as she returned to them. “What? That’s ridiculous.” Harry joined her nervous laughter.  
  
“I would be such a bad actor,” Harry agreed, and he and Molly both nodded.  
  
“Harry has such a boring job, I couldn’t imagine him doing anything exciting like that.” Molly smiled at Harry, and he internally smirked at the irony.  
  
“Do you two work together?” Her dad asked.  
  
“Kind of.” Harry looked over at Molly.  
  
“We work in the same building,” she lied, though it was partially true, in a way.  
  
Just then, Jeff returned from the bathroom, so Molly decided it was time to leave. “It was nice seeing you, dad, say goodbye to mom for me!” She gave him a hug goodbye and grabbed her suitcase.  
  
“It was nice meeting you Harry, hopefully you can visit again. I’m sure Deborah would love to meet you.” Stephen made eye contact with his daughter, and she knew, instantly, that he saw through their attempt at masking Harry’s identity.  
  
“Nice to meet you too, sir, Mr. Winthrope.” Harry shook his hand before leaving, Jeff right behind them. On the ride to the airport, Jeff tried to make conversation, but Molly and Harry were too busy texting each other things they couldn’t say in front of Jeff.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Molly and Harry had some time off after they returned from New York before Harry had any other public appearances.  
  
One afternoon, Molly was sitting on the couch with her laptop, typing away at the book she was ghost writing for her ‘real’ job, when her fake boyfriend walked by.  
  
“I let you get whatever desk you want, and you decided to work on the couch?” He teased.  
  
“Shut up, I’m having my period, this is more comfortable,” she replied, a little snappier than she’d intended.  
  
“Oh, sorry to hear that. Do you want me to bring you some tea? Chocolate? Do you need me to pick up some tampons for you?” Harry sat down next to her.  
  
“Wh-what?” Molly nearly dropped her computer. “No, I can get tampons on my own. Are you being sarcastic? Most guys I’ve been with get freaked out when I mention my period.” Molly assumed it was because she’s the kind of person to overshare information sometimes.  
  
Harry shrugged. “I grew up with a mum and a sister, I know how these things are.”  
  
“Okay, well, thanks for the offer, but I’m okay right now.” Molly tried to get back to work.  
  
“Let me know if you need anything; sorry to hear you’re going through that right now.” He stood up to leave, but added, “Well, not too sorry, it’s good you’re on your period.”  
  
“Ummm, I mean, I’d prefer not to have it, but okay?” Molly looked up at him, still very confused.  
  
Now it was Harry’s turn to look confused, and maybe worried. “You’d prefer not to have it?” He knitted his brows and slowly sat back down next to her.  
  
Molly shrugged. “I think most girls would prefer not to go through this every month, right?”  
  
Harry was still confused. “But, the alternative would be-”  
  
“Menopause?” Molly filled in, and Harry shook his head, and it suddenly hit Molly what he was talking about. She rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might get stuck. “Ugh, no Harry, not pregnant. I’ll take a thousand periods over that, thank you.”  
  
He leaned back and seemed to visibly relax.  
  
“Were you worried about that?” Molly asked, a little kinder this time.  
  
Harry scratched his head. “Well, we didn’t exactly use a condom the first time…”  
  
“I’m on the pill, but you’re right, we should have.”  
  
“Normally, I would, but they’re in my room, and we didn’t get up to my room, we ended up…” Harry strummed his fingers on the couch cushion between he and Molly.  
  
“Here.” Molly sat up and put her laptop aside. “Harry, you’re being weird about this. I’m sure you’ve hooked up with many women before, and I hope you used a condom with all of them - god I didn’t even think to ask you if you had any STD’s, fuck - but anyway, this is probably not new to you.-”  
  
“I don’t have any STDs, for the record,” Harry interjected.  
  
“Good to know. But why are you being weird about this?” Molly watched him, and he scratched the back of his hand for an awkwardly long amount of time.  
  
Harry sighed. “There’s a rumor online from an ‘inside source’ that I’ve got some two year old kid, and they’re going to leak information on him in a few weeks.”  
  
“Oh my god.” Molly sat up even more straight. “It’s not true, right? I mean, if it is, that’s fine, too, but-”  
  
“No, it’s not. I don’t think so, at least.” Harry ran his hand through his hair. “It’s rumors like this that make me want to get a vasectomy.”  
  
Molly giggled. “Do it, that’ll stop the rumors.”  
  
Harry ignored her comment. “I kind of have a feeling that this ‘inside source’ is my management.”  
  
“If it is, I will personally strangle Jeff for you. That is quite low, even for him.” Molly shook her head.  
  
“I don’t think he would do that, it must be someone else.”  
  
“Why would anyone on your team want that?” Molly wracked her brain for a logical reason. “To perpetuate the womanizer/ladies man/fuckboy/manwore image?”  
  
“Were all of those synonyms necessary?” Harry chuckled self-deprecatingly.   
  
“I could have just said ‘slut’ but that tends to have negative connotations, whereas the other terms are, I guess, less negative? More masculine, at least.”  
  
“Are you calling me a slut?” Harry raised his eyebrows.  
  
“If you’re a slut, I’m a slut,” Molly joked, and Harry looked even more surprised. “What? Neither of us is particularly celibate, or monogamous.”  
  
“True.” Harry shrugged, and thought for a moment. “Anyone could claim to be an inside source, right?”  
  
“Just ask Jeff if you’re concerned, I’m sure he’s going to want to deal with this. If it is him, you need get him to nip this in the bud. Get him to retract the statement or something. If it helps,” Molly added, “tell him I’m furious (because I am) and I don’t want to see my boyfriend’s reputation dragged through the mud for a bit of publicity. If you want I’ll even come with you and cause a scene, because I am properly fired up about this.”  
  
“I appreciate that, and if I need you to play the angry girlfriend, I’ll let you know. For now, I think I’ll talk to him on my own, see what’s going on.” He stood up and straightened out his shirt before heading toward the door.   
  
“Probably a good idea. Let me know how it goes,” Molly called after him, and tried to get back to work, but she was too angry. Instead, she decided to look into the rumor herself. She found it on a blog she often referenced when trying to work out Harry’s image problem, and it was exactly what Harry had described.  
  
Then, another thought struck Molly: How did Harry come across this?  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if any of you heard this too, but this summer there was a rumor going around that soon there would be information leaked about some two year old son Harry had, the author just had to work out some legal stuff with the mother. It was (I think?) fake, and nothing came of it, as far as I know. Some people speculated it was his management who started the rumor, but I have no idea. It looked like it was supposed to go along with that “70s rockstar” image he’s purporting, but I have no idea where the rumor came from. I know after ‘Kiwi’ came out there was a lot of speculation, but this was more recent, like in August, I think. I can’t seem to find any information on this now, and googling ‘harry styles secret love child rumor’ was a really bad idea! To clarify, I have no idea if harry has any kids, nor do I want to know (none of my business).


	12. Chapter 12

Harry slumped into the seat across from his sister and ducked his head behind the menu as he studied it. “Why did we have to sit outside, Gem?” He whispered.  
  
“Because Molly said you need to be seen with someone other than your manager, so people don’t think you live in his attic.” She explained and put her menu down. “Besides, it’s nice out, and we could both use a little sun.”  
  
“Ha,” Harry snorted. “I just got out of a meeting with Jeff, clearing up a rumor that I do not have a little son.”  
  
“What?” Gemma leaned in and her smile vanished.  
  
“Nothing. It was just a rumor.” He put down his menu and returned her stare. “What?”  
  
“We should take a selfie.” She pulled out her phone. “For the fans. Molly says they’d love it.”  
  
“Do you listen to everything she tells you?” Harry joked, and fixed his hair for the picture.  
  
“She seems to know what she’s talking about. Now lean in. Closer, Harry.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him over before snapping a selfie of the two.  
  
“Let me see that.” He grabbed her phone. “I look bad, let’s do it again.” This time he took the picture, and made sure he was ready so he didn’t look so tired in this picture.  
  
“I’ll text you the pic, so you can put it on your sm,” Gemma said as she took her phone back.  
  
“You want me to post that?” He tilted his head.  
  
“Yes, Dr. Molly’s orders.” Gemma was already speedily typing away on twitter. “How’s this caption: ‘Getting lunch with this sweet creature’?” She grinned back at Harry.  
  
“That’s clever, can I steal that from you? I suppose I should say something to promote my new single…” Harry thought for a moment as he got the picture ready to post on Twitter and Instagram.  
  
“What about. ‘Looking like a couple of ghosts with @GemmaStyles in this rare London sun #NeedATan.” Gemma suggested.  
  
“I don’t really use # though, so, you can have that one, and I’ll take the ‘Sweet Creature’ caption. Considering that song is supposedly about you, it would make more sense if I said it, anyway.” Harry shrugged.  
  
“What? ‘Supposedly’?” Gemma’s eyebrows shot up.  
  
“I’m not at liberty to confirm nor deny anything,” Harry teased as he posted the picture with Gemma’s caption. “I feel like Molly, working my own lyrics into everyday conversation.” Harry laughed to himself.  
  
“Right, anyway….lunch?” Gemma eyed him.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Molly was at home watching videos of people covering Harry’s album. She found one she really liked, a girl named Daisy who was described as a ‘young Taylor Swift’. Daisy had managed to put a bit more emotion into the few songs she had covered, and Molly thought her voice would really compliment Harry’s. She’d heard him rehearsing with his band and there was something missing, and Molly thought Daisy might be that something.  
  
However, when Harry returned from lunch with Gemma, he didn’t seem to be in the mood to watch someone who was supposedly the ‘younger version’ of his ex-girlfriend cover his music.  
  
"Now that I've got a bit of time off, I can finally see Tom's play. Do you want to come with, and see your ginger lover-boy again?" Harry intended for the question to sound teasing, but he couldn't hide the edge in his tone.  
  
"He's not my 'lover-boy' any more than you are." Molly rolled her eyes.  
  
"Really? You're pretending to be his girlfriend too?" He said quietly, and this time Molly caught that edge he was trying to mask.  
  
"You cannot possibly still be jealous of him?" Molly raised her eyebrows. "We hooked up once, that's it!"  
  
Harry cocked his head. "If you had the chance, you'd do it again, though."  
  
"Are you asking me, or..." Molly couldn't tell if his teasing tone had vanished or if it had never been there to begin with.  
  
Sensing the tension, he suddenly shrugged and changed to topic. "Whatever, Gemma and her boyfriend will be there too if you want to go."  
  
“Her boyfriend?” Molly perked up at that, forgetting Harry’s jealousy. “I haven’t met him yet, but she talks about him all the time. I guess I could see the play again, I was a little distracted the first time we saw it.”  
  
“Why, staring at Tom’s cheekbones too much?”  
  
“No, I was just tired. Gemma and I rushed over to see it after the ‘Dunkirk’ premiere; I couldn’t really follow the plot of the play after seeing something like ‘Dunkirk’.” Molly shrugged. “I’d love to see it again.”  
  
“Alright, I’ll let Jeff know,” Harry mumbled and left with his head in a rain cloud.  
  
  
The next evening, Jeff, Jeff’s girlfriend Glenne, Harry, Molly, Gemma, and Gemma’s boyfriend Michael, filed into the theater in nearly that order once the house lights had gone down. Harry settled into his seat between Jeff and Molly and tried to relax. Molly and Gemma giggled quietly about something until the play started, and then Molly turned her attention to the stage. She gently laid her hand on the armrest between her and Harry, perhaps inviting him to hold her hand.  
  
Harry heard Jeff shift in his seat, and realize he couldn’t leave Molly hanging. He placed his hand in hers, like any normal couple on a date would. Once he felt Jeff’s eyes stop flicking over to check on them every few minutes, he let her hand slip from his, and tried to enjoy the play.  
  
As the play came to a close, Gemma suggested they meet up with Tom again for a drink, and Molly agreed (a little too eagerly, in Harry’s opinion). He sat in silence as the six of them waited for Tom in a pub. He sipped his drink as Gemma and Molly chatted, until Tom arrived and Molly greeted him with an enthusiastic “Tom!!”  
  
“Liked it so much, you had to see it again?” He joked as he greeted her.  
  
“Harry hadn’t seen it,” Molly wrapped her arm around Harry’s shoulders (since the booth they were in was private enough) and leaned into him, an action Harry barely reciprocated.  
  
“Oh,” Tom leaned back in his seat and looked between the two. “I didn’t realize you two were a thing.” He gave Molly an odd stare, one Molly hoped Jeff would pass off as surprise.  
  
“We like to keep it quiet,” she answered, and Tom nodded, though he didn’t quite understand.  
  
“Nice job tonight, mate,” Harry finally chimed in, and the two conversed about their time filming together.  
  
Molly leaned back in her seat as a thought struck her: ‘Had Harry planned this? Letting Tom see them together so he’d know she was off-limits?’ She shook her head and took another sip of her drink. Harry and Tom were friends, but he seemed to have some odd fixation on him that probably extended back to their ‘Dunkirk’ days together. Perhaps Molly wasn’t the only girl they’d both slept with, or maybe it had nothing to do with a girl at all. Molly suddenly felt like a third wheel, an oddly shaped third wheel that just seemed to mess up the other two wheels.  
  
“I think I’m going to go home early,” she stood up and Gemma looked up at her.  
  
“Are you okay? Let me give you a ride,” Gemma offered.  
  
“I’m fine, just tired. I can just catch a cab,” Molly smiled and put a hand on Gemma’s shoulder until she sat down.  
  
“Okay, I’ll talk to you later,” Gemma watched Molly leave before rejoining the conversation, noting that Harry didn’t seem to notice Molly’s absence.  
  
Molly didn’t wait up for Harry to come home, and went to bed trying to get whatever was bothering her out of her mind.  
  
  
The next morning, Molly was watching Daisy’s cover of ‘Two Ghosts’ when Harry finally awoke. She paused it, in case he still had a bee in his bonnet, but when she saw him, she realized it was quite the opposite.  
  
“Morning,” he smiled, looking too chipper for someone who had been out that late.  
  
“Have fun with Tom last night?” Molly asked, and he sat down next to her with a cup of coffee.  
  
“Yeah, I just needed a ‘guy’s night out’ I guess.” He leaned back and closed his eyes, nursing a bit of a hangover.  
  
“That’s good, you seemed a little off yesterday.” Molly replied.  
  
“Yeah, about that…” Harry leaned forward and bit his lip while he thought. “Sorry, I guess I owe you an apology.”  
  
“I don’t know about an apology, but maybe an explanation?” Molly smiled back at him and waited.  
  
Harry sighed. “I guess it’s just that... maybe, um,” Harry paused again. “Sometimes the line between ‘fake girlfriend’ and ‘real girlfriend’ get a little blurry...and, uh...hold up, who’s this?” He tilted her laptop screen so he could see it better.  
  
“A girl did an awesome cover of ‘Two Ghosts’, I was going to show you.” Molly turned the screen so he could see it and hit play. “But what were you saying?”  
  
“It’s nothing,” Harry mumbled and leaned closer to the screen to watch a girl who looked and sounded a little like the person he’d written the song about sing ‘Two Ghosts’.  
  
“That’s pretty good. What’s her name?” Harry glanced at Molly.  
  
“Daisy.”  
  
“Daisy? I like that…” Harry watched the video again, and Molly found herself feeling invisible and irrelevant.  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

Molly was in the tub, taking a bath and relaxing, when Harry came right in and sat on the edge of her bathtub to chat with her.  
  
“Umm, boundaries?” She said and rushed to cover up.  
  
“What? I’ve seen you naked, besides, that’s not why I’m here.”  
  
“Okay, then why are you here, in my bathroom, nearly in my bathtub with me?” Molly asked.  
  
“I want to meet her,” he said, his eyes bright. “Daisy, I mean.”  
  
“I know who you’re talking about.” Molly nearly rolled her eyes. He had not stopped watching her youtube channel since Molly introduced him to it yesterday. “You probably can, if she wants to. Why?”  
  
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, I kind of want to hear how we’d sound together.”  
  
Molly sighed. “Talk to Jeff, maybe he can have someone get in touch with her.”  
  
“That’s smart, Jeff will know what to do.” Harry hopped off the edge of the tub.  
  
“And Harry?” Molly sat up and leaned on the edge of the tub, right where Harry had just been sitting. She kept herself covered, suddenly feeling very vulnerable.  
  
“Hmm?” He turned around in the doorway.  
  
“What did you mean yesterday morning, right before I showed you that video of Daisy? Something about the lines were blurred-”  
  
“Nothing.” Harry shrugged. “I was just tired and rambling.” He smiled and continued out the door.  
  
“Of course.” Molly slid down in the tub until she was nearly submerged, and remembered the last time Harry had paid her an unexpected visit in the tub.  _‘How ironic…’_  
  
  
***  
  
Daisy was surprised to see she had two emails in her inbox looking to book her for a gig. The first one she deleted, since she hadn’t exactly had a nice experience the last time she played in that bar. The second one, though, confused her. At first she thought it might be some kind of ‘cease and desist’ order for covering Harry Styles’ music without his permission. But as she read further, she realized this was probably the opposite.  
  
***  
  
Jeff, Molly, Harry, and a few others sat in Jeff’s office watching Daisy’s covers of Harry’s songs. As the last song came to a close, Harry smiled. “Isn’t that fucking amazing?”  
  
“What do you want from us; you want us to sue her?” Jeff raised his eyebrows.  
  
“No, I just want to get in touch with her,” Harry restated, but it didn’t seem to be getting through to Jeff.  
  
“Do you want to, you know,” Jeff cleared his throat and leaned closer. “Hook up with her?”  
  
Molly, sitting clearly within earshot, groaned loudly. “No, he just wants to meet her!”  
  
Jeff sighed and glanced at her before returning to Harry. “So what, she covered some of your songs; lots of people do that.”  
  
“It’s so much more than than that.” Harry moved closer, with a brightness in his eyes Jeff hadn’t seen in awhile. “She didn’t just cover it, she filled in whatever I was lacking, the emotion, the higher notes I can’t seem to hit live, the stage presence...Just find her, okay? I certainly can’t just leave a comment on her YouTube channel like ‘hey this his Harry Styles I’d like to work with you’, can I?”  
  
Jeff closed his eyes and sighed. “No, certainly not.” He smiled. “I’ll have someone get right on that.”  
  
“Thanks, mate,” Harry clapped him on the shoulder on his way out the door, Molly in tow. He had obsessed over Daisy’s covers of ‘Two Ghosts,’ ‘From the Dining Table’, ‘Meet Me In the Hallway’, ‘Sweet Creature’, ‘Ever Since New York’, and ‘Sign of the Times’ since Molly first introduced him to it yesterday. It was just her and her guitar, and she put more feeling into it than Harry ever had.  
  
***  
  
“Daisy, are you sure? This isn’t some kind of prank?” Zoe followed Daisy around their small apartment as she frantically packed her small suitcase.  
  
“Yes, I’ve spoken on the phone with his manager. He wants to play a few songs with me!” Daisy beamed, and dug through her closet.  
  
“But...Harry Styles? I mean,” Zoe made a face. “Isn’t he the one that dated Taylor Swift?”  
  
“Yeah, but I don’t think that has anything to do with it…” Daisy ignored her and kept digging for that one dress she loved, and knew it was somewhere in her closet.  
  
“You kind of look like her, you know…” Zoe added. “I’m just saying, he has a bit of a reputation for being into the ladies…”  
  
“Please, he’s just some boy - I can take care of myself.” Daisy jokingly rolled her eyes and stuffed the dress into her suitcase. “This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity. I don’t want to end up playing my guitar in bars for the rest of my life.”  
  
“I know, I just-”  
  
“I know you’re worried,” Daisy interrupted and placed a hand on Zoe’s shoulder. “I can handle whatever this is. I’ve gotten someone to cover my shift for me, and I’ll probably only be gone a few days, okay?”  
  
***  
  
Molly had not seen Harry happier in their few short weeks together. He was constantly humming, practicing his lame jokes on Molly, chattering to her about random aspects of his upcoming tour. After a few days, Molly didn’t think she could take his happiness anymore, and could not wait until they could meet Daisy, so Harry would stop talking about her.  
  
Yet when that day finally came, Molly realized Harry’s unnecessary happiness was actually quite reasonable. Daisy was just as bubbly and friendly as she seemed online, and she really was the shorter, strawberry blond version of Taylor Swift. Perhaps that’s why he seemed to have instant chemistry with her, or maybe he really wanted this to work and was trying extra hard, but it was clear they sounded and looked great together.  
  
At the studio, Molly and Jeff watched Harry and Daisy play with Harry’s band from behind the glass, where the producers would normally sit if they were recording. Molly was tapping her foot anxiously, wondering what she had gotten herself into.  
  
“Jealous?” Jeff asked quietly, and Molly shot him a look.  
  
“No,” she answered quickly, then thought maybe it would make more sense for her to have answered affirmatively. “Well, kinda. I mean, look at her: I can’t compete with that.”  
  
“True. She really does look like a short Taylor Swift, except the eyes, maybe.” Jeff noted, and Molly rolled her eyes.  
  
“She even dresses like Taylor did back when she first started out,” Molly added, and they went back to listening to them rehearse in silence.  
  
At the end of the day, the band broke up for the day and Harry joined Molly and Jeff.  
  
“What do you think?” He asked with a grin and looked over at Daisy chatting with the band in the studio.  
  
“You certainly seemed to get along with her,” Jeff stated the obvious, and Harry laughed.  
  
“It’s hard not to!” He glanced back over at her.  
  
“She seems friendly,” Molly noted.  
  
“But you think we sound good together, right? I’ve heard the playback, but how does it sound live?” He asked.  
  
“You two actually do sound great together,” Jeff admitted, and looked over at Molly for confirmation.  
  
“I agree, she harmonizes well; you guys look and sound amazing together, like two peas in a pod.” Molly nodded, but didn’t seem very enthusiastic.  
  
“So, do you think it’s possible I could maybe add her to our repertoire? If she’s available, of course, but I’d love for her to tour with us.”  
  
Molly and Jeff exchanged glances, before looking back at Harry, who eagerly awaited an answer.  
  
“Harry, you can’t just add someone to your band.” Jeff shook his head, and looked over at Molly for help.  
  
She shrugged, knowing she had gotten them into this mess. “I mean, he’s got a point.”  
  
“See, listen to your girlfriend, for once she’s right-” Jeff started, but Molly cut him off.  
  
“No, I meant Harry was right. Daisy filled in that ‘thing,’ whatever was missing, from Harry’s performances so far. He needs someone else he can interact with on stage, and her voice really does compliment his, and fills in where he’s not as strong.” Molly shrugged. “I certainly didn’t realize they’d get along this well, but I think she would be an improvement.”  
  
Jeff sighed. Molly was right; Harry just didn’t quite have that same stage presence he’d had in 1D, and until he gained that, maybe giving him someone else to work with on stage would be beneficial. “So, what, it’s now, ‘Harry Styles, introducing Daisy Rutherford‘?”  
  
“Exactly, and he’ll get credit for introducing an unknown to the music scene, he’ll get lots of positive praise - and you will too, probably.” Molly nodded at Jeff. “I’m sure she’ll need a manager, maybe you can add Daisy to the Azoff collection.”  
  
Jeff smiled to himself and nodded; he hadn’t thought of it like that, but this would certainly bring Harry and co. some good press.  
  
“Maybe they can re-record some acoustic versions of a few songs, and you can sell them on itunes or something.” Molly could not believe she was suggesting marketing ideas to Jeff.  
  
Jeff eyed Molly with a new perspective suddenly. He had been quite suspicious of Harry’s ‘new girlfriend’, especially when he found out she had a degree in marketing, but Molly seemed to have a good head for business and actually seemed to have Harry’s best interest in mind.  
  
“Brilliant.” Harry left to rejoin Daisy and his band, and Jeff was about to get up when Molly turned to him.  
  
“Harry just needed his ‘Garfunkel’.” Molly commented.  
  
“What?” Jeff turned to her.  
  
“She’s the Garfunkel to his Simon,” Molly explained. “Not that Harry is Paul Simon, don’t get any ideas... “ They had already tried painting Harry as baby Jagger, Mick Fleetwood’s son, the reincarnation of Prince and Bowie...they didn’t need to add Paul Simon to that list.  
  
Jeff shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”  
  
“Though, that girl is no Garfunkel, either,” Molly added, more thinking out loud than talking to Jeff. “She won’t want to be his sidekick for long.”  
  
“You know, I often doubted the legitimacy of your relationship with Harry, but after seeing you watch them today, it’s clear I was wrong.” Jeff leaned in closer and quietly added, “and knowing Harry, you have reason to worry.”  
  
Molly glanced up at him long enough to see he wasn’t just saying this to be malicious, and muttered “thanks,” before Jeff left.  
  
Molly watched the two talk and laugh about god knows what. Jeff was right, she had reason to worry. Yet Molly was not worried about losing her ‘boyfriend,’ she could lose her job, her way of life, and everything she had worked so had to fix on Harry’s solo career. Yet, maybe Daisy was that missing piece of the puzzle that would pull the loose ends together. Maybe Molly’s work here was done, and like Mary Poppins, she would float off toward her next project.  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

“Hey, it’s actually going to be a bit more than a few days, so I guess I’ll just use up the rest of my vacation time, and then take some unpaid time off once that’s through,” Daisy bit her lip as she thought of what else to say in her voicemail. “Would you mind canceling the doctor’s appointment I had for Tuesday? The number should be on my desk, thanks! I miss you!”  
  
***  
  
The morning of ‘Two Ghosts’s release as a single, Harry and Daisy sat outside with their guitars, ready to film a video of them playing the song. Molly, Jeff, and a couple others were present as well, and they set up the camera to record them.  
  
“Do we have to be outside? The sun is in my eyes,” Harry complained and squinted.  
  
“I have your sunglasses if you want.” Molly pulled his sunglasses out of her purse and handed them to Harry.  
  
“Thanks, mum,” he said sarcastically as he put them on.  
  
“Did you just call me mom?” Molly turned back to face him and didn’t know if she should laugh or be offended.  
  
“I’m joking.” He laughed, and Daisy snickered.  
  
“Okay, let’s do this,” Jeff announced, and they hit record.  
  
“Hi, I’m Harry Styles, and this is my new friend Daisy.” He pointed at her and smiled.  
  
“Hi!” She waved.  
  
“And this, is ‘Two Ghosts’.” With that, they both started playing. It was clear Daisy was a bit better at guitar than Harry, so she took the melody while he backed her up. Yet when they started singing together, Daisy harmonized with Harry perfectly. Their chemistry was almost palpable, and by the end of the song, all Molly could think was ‘get a room’.  
  
“‘Two Ghosts’ is out today as a single, so check it out.” Harry smiled as they ended the video. “How was that?” He asked, and everyone said they were fantastic. However, he looked specifically at Molly, since he knew she would give him an honest answer.  
  
“You two sound perfect together.” She smiled at him, and Harry sighed in relief.  
  
“Good, we don’t have to do it again. There was a bee buzzing around my head, I was worried it was going to sting me.” He swatted away the bee as it returned.  
  
“Well, you know, bees are attracted to flowers, and I’m a daisy,” Daisy joked, and Harry nearly fell over in peels of laughter.  
  
“I don’t blame him, it’s not hard to be attracted to you,” he said quietly with a smirk.  
  
Molly rolled her eyes and left to sit in the car to wait for them. Someone in Harry’s PR team was editing the video to put on his youtube channel, instagram, twitter, facebook, and anywhere else they could think of. “This was a great idea, you know,” they said to Molly. “People are going to love this! I can only imagine the ship name they’ll come up with. No doubt there will be fanfiction up by tomorrow!” They laughed and left Molly on her own with her stormy thoughts. Surely they forgot that she was his ‘girlfriend’, right?  
  
Regardless, they were right. ‘Haisy’ was trending on twitter by that evening, and Molly dared to check her old fanfiction accounts for anything on the two. Sure enough, there were dozens of new fics about Harry and Daisy. ‘It worked’ she sighed, since they were hoping to bring him some more publicity to promote his single. She just didn’t realize how well it would work, or how much it would hurt.  
  
Being Harry’s ‘girlfriend’ over the past month, Molly was used to filling the spot Daisy now occupied. Her role as the ‘friends with benefits fake girlfriend’ in Harry’s life was even more ambiguous now, and she tried to just focus on the one thing she’d come here to do: fix Harry’s image. Yet in doing so, she was inadvertently making herself redundant.  
  
As usual, Harry tried not to pay attention to fan reactions, and Molly relayed him the important/interesting parts at breakfast. However, the next morning he seemed to be ahead of her.  
  
“They’re calling us ‘Haisy’ isn’t that cute?” He sat down across from Molly and grabbed some coffee.  
  
“Sounds like ‘hazy’ as in, hot, humid, and hazy,” Molly commented. “Like the weather we’re having right now.”  
  
“We’ll be in New York soon, for our next secret show, so maybe it won’t be so hot and humid, though it’ll certainly be hazy,” he added with a wink and Molly wanted to roll her eyes. “What’s gotten into you? Are you jealous of our ship name? Because we can come up with one for us if you want,” Harry offered, and Molly was shocked that he remembered they were supposed to be an ‘us’.  
  
“Shipping is usually left to the fans, and since the fans don’t know we’re ‘dating,’ I don’t see us getting a ship name.”  
  
“It’s easy, we could be ‘Holly’ or ‘Marry’,” Harry suggested.  
  
“Uh uh, nope. Don’t even say that word around me.” Molly held up her index finger and wagged it at him.  
  
“What, marry?” He cocked his head.  
  
“I signed up to be your fake girlfriend, and that’s it. I don’t want you getting any ideas, even if it is just a silly nickname.” Molly tried to sound stern, but Harry could not take her seriously.  
  
“Okay, we can be Holly,” he offered.  
  
“How about, we’re just ‘Harry and Molly who pretend to date, unless Daisy is around and then Molly is invisible’. How’s that?” Molly didn’t mean to sound so passive aggressive, but she was not in a good mood this morning.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows, still not taking her seriously. “Molly Winthrope, are you jealous of her?”  
  
“Maybe I’m jealous of you, and not Daisy, did you ever think of that, Styles?” Molly winked and stood up from the table with her empty plate.  
  
Harry nearly dropped his fork as he sat at the table, mouth wide open. “Wait, what? You’re into Daisy?!”  
  
Molly tried to keep a straight face as she watched this spectacle. “No.” She finally burst out laughing. “But not everything is about you, Harry, keep that in mind.” With that, she left and the two didn’t discuss the subject any further.  
  
  
  
When they landed in New York a couple days later, Harry expected Molly to find an excuse to visit her parents again, like she had last time, considering how distant she had been with him the past few days. Yet, she got right on the elevator with him and rode up to ‘their’ room together without any indication that she would be leaving. She sat on the bed and bounced a few times to test its comfortableness.  
  
“This is a nice bed.” She fell back and laid there for a moment until Harry joined her.  
  
“So, are going to stay with your parents like last time?” He asked.  
  
“Nah, this bed is too soft, I’m not going anywhere.” Molly smiled, and turned her head toward Harry on her right. “Besides, Jeff would get suspicious.”  
  
“Makes sense you’d want to see your parents, though, doesn’t it?” He asked, turning to his left see her.  
  
“My mom and I are getting lunch tomorrow, since she’ll be in the city anyway looking for an apartment.” Molly returned her eyes to the ceiling and felt Harry shift on the bed.  
  
“Are they moving into the city?” He leaned up on one elbow and looked at her.  
  
She shook her head. “No, just my mom.”  
  
“Oh.” Harry laid down again. He’d been through his before, he knew what it meant, and realized maybe that’s why Molly’d gone off at the mention of the word ‘marry’. “I’m sorry to hear that.”  
  
Molly sat up suddenly. “Harry, I told you a week ago they were getting a divorce. Guess you forgot.” Molly slid off the bed and grabbed her purse.  
  
“Sorry, I don’t rememb- wait, where are you going?” He sat up and watched her head to the door.  
  
“Out.”  
  
Harry stared at the door as it shut behind her and sat for a moment as he tried to figure out what the heck had just happened.  
  
‘ _Is she mad at me? Yes, she’s definitely mad at me. Should I go after her?’_  He stood up and moved toward the door, but stopped. ‘ _No, she probably wants to be alone._ ’ He remained stationary as his brain seemed to spin with thoughts, yet kept coming up blank. He found his feet carrying him to the door, and ran into the hall in time to see the elevator door close behind Molly.  
  
 _‘Shit, Harry, you couldn’t have acted a little quicker?'_  He chastised himself and slammed the down arrow at the elevators several times.  
  
Molly stepped off the elevator and through the crowded hotel lobby without anyone taking notice, because why would they? She’s just Molly. She stood in front of the hotel for a moment and took a deep breath.  _‘Still hot and humid, and yup, still hazy,’_  she rolled her eyes and had just hailed a cab when she felt a hand slip around her waist.  
  
“Hey,” he said, and Molly looked up. Of course it was Harry; like a puppy he had followed her out here, so she grabbed him and pulled him into the cab with her before anyone saw him.  
  
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.” She looked around, and so far no one seemed to be paying any attention.  
  
“I’m not alone, you’re here.” He half smiled, but it disappeared quickly. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve been a little distracted…”  
  
Molly closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “It’s okay, it’s not your job keep track of my personal life.”  
  
“I know, but I could at least try? I’m your fake boyfriend, your friend with benefits, or whatever. I could at least try to be a friend.” He tried smiling again, and this time it stuck.  
  
“Do you guys just want to chat, or are we going somewhere?” The cab driver looked back at them.  
  
“Where were you going?” Harry whispered to Molly, and she shrugged.  
  
“I just want some alcohol, and to forget everything for a moment. Maybe a club?” She replied.  
  
Harry looked her over. “In that outfit? No, luv, sorry. But, the hotel has alcohol, why don’t we just stay in?”  
  
Molly sighed, and shrugged. “Okay.” She didn’t really want to change her clothes, or deal with other drunk people out clubbing, and Harry was as good enough person to get drunk with as any.  
  
“Can you just take us around the back of the hotel?” He instructed the cab driver.  
  
Once they returned to their room, Harry and Molly did not hesitate to raid the mini bar. Molly changed into her pajamas and let her hair down before settling in on the bed next to Harry as he flipped through the channels to find something to watch on tv.  
  
“Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and see what we find?” Molly laughed, and this time, it was Harry’s turn to roll his eyes.  
  
“That again?” He joked. “I can if you want…”  
  
“No, let’s not have this become ‘Netflix and chill’.” Molly shook her head.  
  
“As you wish.” Harry continued flipping channels.  
  
“‘Princess Bride’! That’s from ‘Princess Bride’; I haven’t seen that movie in ages, can we watch it?” She turned to him.  
  
“Well, paradoxically, it is a romantic comedy on Netflix, so we would have to-” Harry started to explain, a smile forming on his lips.  
  
“Okay, okay, I get it.” Molly interrupted him with a laugh. “You can search Netflix for a romantic comedy.”  
  
As Harry pulled up the movie, Molly refilled their drinks. “So, did you need to get permission from Netflix to use them in your song?”  
  
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, someone might have.”  
  
“It’s like we’re having an adult sleepover.” Molly smiled at Harry and handed him his drink.  
  
“What? Adult like…?”  
  
“It’s like the slumber parties we had as kids. You had sleepovers with your friends, right?”  
  
“Yeah, I get it now. I just thought you meant ‘adult’ as in, ‘adult movies’ or something…”  
  
“No, Harry.” Molly put her glass down to hit him with a pillow. “I mean we’re grown-ups. Or at least some of us are.”  
  
“Hey, I’m older than you,” he retorted. “Right?”  
  
“Yes, like a year, but that doesn’t make you a grown up.” Molly laughed.  
  
It was quiet for a while as they watched their movie, slowly working their way through the second or third drink of the night. “I’m sorry I called you mum the other day.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Molly shrugged and laughed tiredly. “I knew you were probably joking.”  
  
“And I’m really sorry about your parents.” He added.  
  
Molly sighed. “I think it was bound to happen. There’s been tension for years, and when I left for college they were on their own for the first time in 18 years, and didn’t know what to do with each other.”  
  
Harry nodded, he’d been through this before. “I was much younger when my parents got divorced, but if you want to talk about it, I might not have much advice, but I’ll listen.”  
  
“Thank you, really, I do appreciate that. It’s funny, Gemma said the same thing, and we did end up talking about it for a while.”  
  
“You talked about it with Gemma before you talked to me?” Harry seemed insulted, but more upset with himself for not paying enough attention.  
  
“I told you about it first, and then I went to your sister because you were, occupied elsewhere.”  
  
Harry knew exactly what she meant by that, and he did not have a response for her.  
  
“She’s supposed to be my pretend ‘best friend’ right? So that makes sense,” Molly continued.  
  
“Yeah, but I’m supposed to be your pretend ‘boyfriend’, doesn’t that come before ‘best friend’?” He asked.  
  
“Your sister and I are close, but we’re not that close.” Molly joked, and Harry just stared at her.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Oh, you meant ‘come’ as in ‘c-o-m-e’.” Molly grinned as Harry face-palmed.  
  
“Jesus, Molly.” He laughed. “I don’t have a response to that.”  
  
“Well, I suppose ‘who came first’ would depend on whether or not you’ve slept with Daisy yet, because…”  
  
Harry shook his head. “No, I haven’t even tried, why would you think that?”  
  
“Really Harry? You’ve been looking at her like she’s the first girl you’ve ever seen.”  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
“Well, if you’re not getting any from Daisy, you know I’m always available.” Molly giggled and set her drink down before she accidentally had too much.  
  
“Always?” He laughed.  
  
“Really, you just have to ask. Or, you don’t even have to ask, just a look will do.” Molly smiled, and Harry couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.  
  
“I didn’t realize I was that alluring.” He joked.  
  
“You’re Harry fucking Styles, who wouldn’t want to fuck you?”  
  
“Um, probably lots of people. What are you getting at?” Harry realized Molly may not be joking.  
  
“Just, that, there are hundreds, probably thousands, of girls, myself included, that would get on their knees for you if you asked.” Molly glanced at him. She was sure this was the alcohol talking, right?  
  
“But I don’t want that,” Harry replied, and shook his head.  
  
“Then what do you want?” Molly turned to look at him completely. She watched his green eyes search her face, as if the answer was on it.  
  
And really, it was, and Harry tried to force himself to say the words, any words, but his mouth would not move. “I don’t know.”  
  
  
  
  
  



	15. Chapter 15

“Thank you to everyone who has come out to see us tonight; after your warm welcome toward Daisy last week I had to show her off in person.” Harry paused to smile as the audience cheered for Daisy. “Isn’t she adorable? Aww, I think she’s blushing.”  
  
Daisy was indeed blushing and glared at Harry for a second, so he continued introducing their show.  
  
“I’m happy to see so many of you’ve come out on short notice. The proceeds of the ticket sales will go to one of my favorite charities, so thank you all very much. I’m sure you didn’t pay to come here and listen to me talk, so here’s my new single ‘Two Ghosts’.” With that, Harry and Daisy, and his band began playing.  
  
One fan had a sign that said ‘Larry Who? I ship Haisy’ with a big heart around it, and Harry had to point it out between songs. “That’s clever, isn’t it?” He laughed and turned to Daisy.  
  
Daisy bit her lips and looked at Harry, not really sure what to say about that. She eventually smiled and shrugged, so Harry moved on to the next song. The show was going exactly as they had rehearsed, with some witty banter between ‘Haisy’ in between songs; everything went smoothly as long as Harry stuck to the script (so to speak).  
  
As the show concluded, Harry caught Daisy’s hand so they could bow together, something she clearly wasn’t expecting and it looked a bit awkward. They both waved before leaving the stage, and Daisy exhaled a frustrated sigh once they were back stage.  
  
“It’s okay, it’s only your first show.” Harry tried to comfort her and smiled, before being whisked off to talk with someone, leaving Daisy with Jeff and Molly.  
  
“He’s right, though, it just takes some practice.” Molly smiled.  
  
“It would have been fine except that ‘Haisy’ poster threw me off. I thought posters weren’t allowed in a small venue like this?” Daisy sighed again.  
  
“Well, they aren’t normally. But, we allowed this one.” Jeff explained.  
  
“You allowed that? Why?” A crinkle formed between Daisy’s eyebrows, whether it was from anger or confusion Molly couldn’t tell.  
  
“The fans love ‘Haisy’, and it’s good for sales.” Jeff shrugged, and honestly Molly didn’t have anything to add.  
  
“Doesn’t that bother you?” She said to Molly. “That people are shipping me with your boyfriend?”  
  
Molly shrugged and stammered for a moment. “I mean, they don’t know he has a girlfriend, and no one’s denied ‘Haisy’ so I guess there’s no harm. I just think they want you guys to be best friends, or something.”  
  
Daisy gave her a doubtful look. “Come on, it doesn’t freak you out that there is vivid and graphic fanfiction about Harry and I?”  
  
Molly swallowed. “There’s fanfiction about him and Louis Tomlinson waaaay worse than that. Trust me, I used to write that kind of thing back in high school. I know it is based on nothing but the writer’s imagination.”  
  
Daisy’s eyebrows shot up, and Jeff looked like he wanted to leave but couldn’t think of a polite excuse. “You used to write fanfiction about your own boyfriend?”  
  
Molly blushed, and she and Daisy both broke down laughing. “Not in a long time, but yes, I did.”  
  
“Sooo, has he read any of it?” Daisy cocked her head and smiled teasingly.  
  
“Fuck, I hope not!” Molly got even redder, and the two laughed.  
  
“Uh, I hate to interrupt, but I do need to talk to Daisy about a few things.” Jeff stepped in, and he looked at Molly. “Actually, we both had a few things to talk about.”  
  
“Oh, um, okay.” Daisy seemed nervous.  
  
“You can’t glare at Harry on stage. They can see everything, even if you think they aren’t looking at you, they are. There are probably millions watching this on periscope or youtube, so anything like that will get picked up on,” Jeff started.  
  
“Sorry, I just didn’t like that he was drawing attention to me like that.” She shrugged.  
  
“And if he tries to hold your hand to bow at the end of the show, just go along with it. It’s a normal thing to do.” Jeff continued.  
  
“You want me to just go along with whatever he wants when we’re on stage together?” Daisy seemed offended. “If holding hands is okay, then what’s next? You going to let him kiss me?”  
  
“No.” Molly stepped in, afraid that Jeff would have said ‘yes’. “I think he just means you should try to be ready for anything. Harry’s done this before, he knows how to read a crowd. If he thinks they need a change in pace, just go with it. Like, when he tells one of his lame jokes, if he says ‘knock knock’ just say ‘who’s there?’ and go along with it.” Molly smiled apologetically.  
  
“If he asks you a question, just agree with him. When in doubt, smile. Remember,” Jeff leaned in, “this is about Harry, not you.”  
  
Daisy nodded. “I know, I’m just the sidekick.”  
  
“For now,” Molly added, sensing Daisy was feeling pretty down about that. “This is your introduction. If you make Harry look good, it makes you look good.”  
  
Daisy nodded again. “I can do that.”  
  
“I know you don’t really have a manager right now, but we’d love to take you on.” Jeff smiled sincerely.  
  
Daisy snorted. “I’d rather work for her than you,” and jerked her head toward Molly. “If you’ll excuse me I have to put my guitar away.”  
  
“Well.” Molly sighed and turned to Jeff. “That could have gone better.”  
  
“Want a job?” Jeff joked (or at least Molly hoped he was joking) and smiled.  
  
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m going to find Harry.” Molly left Jeff and found Harry talking with his stylist about his outfit for an upcoming show. Since abandoning the copy-cat Gucci suits he’d worn in the earlier months of his solo career, he and Molly had tried to figure out what he should wear.  
  
“Why did we decide to ditch them again, Molly?” Harry asked once she was at his side.  
  
“Because we don’t want you to look like Mick Jagger, or Prince, or David Bowie, we want you to look like Harry Styles,” Molly answered. She’d said this many times before, to the point where it sounded like she was repeating a script.  
  
“What’s wrong with them? They all looked very nice,” his stylist rebutted.  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with them, except they aren’t Harry Styles. They looked nice in the 70s, but it’s 2017. Let’s give him a more modern look, something people can actually relate to. We want people to talk about Harry, and now Daisy, not what Harry’s wearing.” She sighed, feeling like a broken record.  
  
“Like what I’m wearing now?” Harry asked and spun to show off his outfit.  
  
“Yes, exactly.” Molly smiled at him, and he wrapped his arm around her. ‘Right, we’re dating….’ This time, it was Molly who nearly forgot about that important detail, though she was quite hungover and not in the best mood. She sighed and let Harry lead her wherever they were going. She could not wait to get back to the hotel, take some more Tylenol, and go to sleep.  
  
  
“How was your mum?” Harry asked her as they rode to the hotel.  
  
“A little frazzled. She doesn’t have a job, or an income. She thinks at 47 she’s too old to start a career, but what else is she going to do? Live off alimony?” Molly sighed. “My mom and I are a lot alike, but I fortunately inherited some of my father’s business sense and level mindedness, which balances out the crazy I inherited from her.”  
  
“Well if she’s anything like you, your mom must be a very lovely lady,” Harry said.  
  
“Oh wonderful, now you want to fuck my mom, too.” Molly joked, too hungover and tired to catch any of Harry’s subtext.  
  
  
***  
  
“Hey, um, I don’t know if you got my last voicemail, but if you get this one: please don’t go online, or look me up or anything like that.” Daisy sighed. “You were right to warn me, but don’t worry, I can handle it. His fans are quite, um, enthusiastic, I wouldn’t worry about anything they say. Harry’s very nice, and his girlfriend and I are starting to get along, so things are not as they appear online. If you’ve seen anything about ‘Haisy’ just ignore it. Okay, I have to catch a plane now, but I’ll talk to you later, if you get this message...and don’t forget to pay the electric bill! I think that’s the one we put off last month, so make sure to pay it on time. Okay. I’ll see you later.”  
  
  
***  
  
  
On the flight to LA for their next show, Daisy spent the flight working with the PR team because she and Harry were going to be interviewed together for the first time. They had a few kinks to work through after that first show, so occasionally Jeff or Molly would pop in with a suggestion. Other than that, Molly slept the whole flight, or tried to, at least.  
  
When they arrived in LA, she and Harry went straight to his house where, in the privacy of his own home, they would not have to pretend to be dating and share a room. Still feeling the effects of her hangover (she had clearly drunk more than Harry had that night), Molly went right to bed, while Harry stayed up a little longer. He knew he should go to sleep, so he wouldn’t be too jet lagged, but he wasn’t tired. He went for a walk, even though it was nearly 2:30AM, and tried to clear his head.  
  
It was just starting to get light out when he finally returned, and he brought a glass of water up to Molly’s room along with some more Tylenol before finally going to sleep. It felt nice to not only sleep in his own bed, but to not have to worry about rolling over at night and accidentally touching her.  
  
Harry was awoken the next morning by the sound of someone walking through his house. He grabbed his phone, but he’d forgotten to get his charger out of his suitcase last night and it died.  
  
“Harry?” He heard Jeff’s voice call out below.  
  
 _‘Shit’_  Harry carefully crept into Molly’s room next door to wake her up, but he heard Jeff coming up the stairs, so he jumped in bed with her.  
  
“Harry, is that you? I tried calling, but your phone when right to voicemail…” Jeff stopped and stared at the two of them in the guest bedroom, confused.  
  
Equally confused, Molly woke up when she heard Jeff talking, and slowly opened her eyes, but it was too bright so she kept them clamped shut. She reached over to the nightstand for the water Harry had brought her, but ended up finding Harry instead.  
  
“Harry? Why are you…” Her eyes shot open and she slid her hands off him. “Naked?!”  
  
“I  _always_ sleep naked.” He looked at her as if to say ‘you know this’ and Molly finally caught a glimpse of a confused Jeff in the doorway.  
  
“I mean, why are you still naked?” She corrected. “We have company, put on some clothes.”  
  
“Yeah, I’ll wait downstairs,” Jeff announced as he turned to go down the stairs. “But hurry, you and Daisy have to be on stage in an hour!”  
  
Harry and Molly scrambled to get ready and got there just in time. Someone did Harry’s hair while he and Daisy warmed up backstage.  
  
“Good luck!” Molly called to both of them before leaving to find something to eat. By the time she returned the show was half over, but Daisy seemed much more adjusted than last time. Harry, on the other hand, looked a bit tired and it was starting to show he hadn’t had his morning coffee. Luckily Daisy was bright and chipper as usual, and more than made up for Harry’s jet lag.  
  
The two had a moment back stage to recover and gather their thoughts after the show before their first ever interview together. Harry finally got some coffee, and once the caffeine started to set in he felt his brain engage at 100% for the first time that day.  
  
“Sorry, what?” He asked now that the fog had cleared.  
  
“The Haisy signs, you saw them, right?” Daisy repeated and Harry nodded. “It’s so annoying.” She shook her head, but Harry just shrugged.  
  
“It’s just something fans do.” He replied, and the two had their hair touched up before the interviewer came over.  
  
The interview was live so fans could send in questions, and the interviewer knew which topics were not allowed, so she was going to moderate the fan questions to keep the interview going. At first, most of the questions sent in were just fans saying ‘HIIII’ and such, but soon real questions started coming in, like ‘how did you two meet’ and ‘when does your tour start’ and ‘will Daisy be on tour with you’. As always Harry gave vague or funny answers, (like, he said he found Daisy in his closet) and Daisy spoke when appropriate.  
  
“Looks like your fans keep bringing up your ship name ‘Haisy’. What do you think about that?” The interviewer asked.  
  
“It’s a clever name-” Harry started.  
  
“I don’t like it.” Daisy interrupted. Behind the camera, Jeff, Molly, and Harry’s PR team froze, and motioned for them to change the subject.  
  
Not noticing, Harry continued. “Why, it’s cute? It sounds like ‘hazy’.”  
  
“So there’s nothing to it, it’s just a name?” The interviewer asked.  
  
“What’s in a name? That which-” Harry started to quote Shakespeare, but Daisy cut him off.  
  
“No,” she laughed, “absolutely not. There is nothing going on between Harry and I, that would be absurd.”  
  
“Would it be?” Harry seemed a bit offended she would dismiss that idea so quickly, considering they’d had such obvious chemistry on stage, and he did not notice Jeff, Molly, or his entire PR team motioning for him to shut up.  
  
“Yes, it would be,” Daisy explained, “because I have a girlfriend.”  
  
  



	16. Chapter 16

“Daisy, you can’t just say something like that during a live interview,” Jeff said through clenched teeth after the interviewer had left.  
  
“Why? Why should that be a secret?” She asked exasperatedly.  
  
“You don’t need to keep it a secret, just maybe give us a heads up so we can be prepared.” Molly explained. She’d had no idea, and hadn’t even thought to ask Daisy her sexual orientation because that was not really a casual conversation starter. Yet, she was the one who had found Daisy, so she still felt slightly responsible.  
  
“I just wanted to put an end to it before it got out of hand. I want people to like us for our music, not us as people. Like, how the White Stripes pretended to be brother and sister - when they were actually divorced - so people wouldn’t question whether they were dating or not. I’m just so tired of seeing the ‘Haisy’ signs, and hearing about ‘us’ and the graphic fanfiction...I know your girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind,” she said to Harry, “but mine does.”  
  
Harry glanced at Molly and she shrugged. “Sure, it bothers me,” Molly started. “But as a fan, I know where they’re coming from.”  
  
“Well I guess we’re two different types of fans. You seem more interested in the person than the music.” Daisy stormed off, and Jeff ran after her with the PR team, who was busy working their contacts in the media to stop any negative press about this.  
  
Harry and Molly were alone, and stood in silence for a moment, not really sure what to do.  
  
“I mean, yes? You’re my boyfriend, so I am interested in you as a person.” Molly started to laugh. “But yes she has a point.”  
  
“I hope you’d be into my music too.” Harry smirked.  
  
“Should we go home?” Molly asked and ran a hand through her hair, realizing she hadn’t brushed it in their rush to get here this afternoon.  
  
“I guess so.” Harry shrugged, and the two left to get his car.  
  
“Were you about to quote Shakespeare?” Molly asked as they drove home. “You know, in the interview, before Daisy interrupted you.”  
  
“‘What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. Romeo and Juliet.” Harry grinned. “Except I was going to say ‘Daisy’ instead of rose, but apparently that ship has sunk…”  
  
“Indeed it has.” Molly nodded. “Wait, why do you even know that line?”  
  
“Learnt it in school, my mates and I thought it would be a good pick-up line. You know, to get a girl’s name.” Harry smirked.  
  
“Is that a British thing? Using Shakespeare as pick-up lines?” Molly laughed.  
  
Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, but it worked for me.”  
  
“Oh god, Harry, you really were a fuckboy, weren’t you?” Molly shook her head and smiled.  
  
“Heyyyy.” He glanced at her with a half smile.  
  
“Admit it, Harry, you know I’m right.” Molly teased. “You know what we should do? We should watch ‘Shakespeare in Love’. Or ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’. or ‘She’s the Man’!”  
  
“You really know your Shakespeare modernizations,” he lifted his eyebrow. “But sure, sounds lovely. I know this great sushi place if you want to get-”  
  
“Some yellowfin sushi?” Molly smiled. “I’d love to.”  
  
  
***  
  
“Okay, I can tell that you’re ignoring my voicemails now, but please just don’t forget about that electric bill.” Daisy paused. If she knew her girlfriend was ignoring her calls, why bother calling? “I’m sorry. It just slipped out. I was mad, and I couldn’t stand being called ‘Haisy’ one more time. I guess your parents know we’re more than just roommates now…”  
  
  
***  
  
  
The next morning things had calmed down a bit around Daisy’s announcement, at least within Harry’s team. The media and fans were still reeling from this revelation, but so far no one really knew what to do with this information. It didn’t really change anything, but that didn’t stop people from trying to twist this to fit their interests.  
  
“I can’t believe people are saying I used her to appeal to the LGBT community.” Harry huffed after Molly gave him their usual morning recap.  
  
“Your face was priceless, I’m not sure how anyone could have seen the way your jaw dropped when she said it, and thought you already knew!” Molly laughed. “I can’t believe people are still trying to ship Haisy, even though she said she has a girlfriend.”  
  
“Wait, do you think I should also say I have a girlfriend?” Harry asked cautiously.  
  
“No, no, please no.” Molly held her hands up. “I don’t want to deal with that, and I don’t think the fans could take another shock. You should stick to your ‘neither confirm nor deny’ tactic with that one.”  
  
“Right, you’re just the fake girlfriend.” Harry nodded, then paused. “Though, lately, it feels like you’re less of my fake girlfriend, and more like my-”  
  
“What?” Molly sat up and her eyes popped open. “Your what?”  
  
“I was going to say, my manager.” Harry raised his eyebrow. “Why? What did you think I was going to say?”  
  
“I was worried you were going to call me your mom again,” Molly lied. She was actually thinking of the moment right before she had first introduced Harry to Daisy’s covers of his songs on youtube, when he had said something about the lines between fake and real girlfriend getting blurred.  
  
“I said I was sorry for that!” Harry laughed. “Though really, I’m sure Jeff would hire you.”  
  
“If he did, I wouldn’t have to pretend to be your girlfriend around him.” Molly stated, and Harry looked at her for a moment.  
  
“Right, I have to go get my hair cut, bye!” He jumped up from the table and tried to casually walk out to his car.  
  
“Okay…?” Molly sat at the table and looked after him for a moment before continuing eating her breakfast.  
  
 _‘Dammit Harry, that couldn’t have been more awkward.’_  He sighed, and started the car before slowly driving away. His hair appointment wasn’t for an hour, which Molly probably knew - since she knew everything. ‘Damn, she really is my mum’  
  
Harry sighed as he waited at a stop light and rested his head on the steering wheel for a moment as something hit him.  _‘But that’s exactly what I need. Not my mum, or_  a  _mum, but a mum-type; someone who’ll tell me when I’m wrong, and keep me from getting too full of myself. Someone who actually has my best interest in mind and cares about me, the person, not just ‘Harry Styles of 1D’.... I need…’_  
  
Harry jerked his head up when the car behind him honked, informing him the light had changed.  
  
“Molly,” he said to himself out loud and his bright eyes shot open. Harry quickly pulled a u-turn. “I can get my hair cut later.”  
  
On the way home he stopped to get some flowers.  _‘Girls like flowers, right?’_  He considered getting her daisies but decided maybe Molly wouldn't find it that funny. Then he thought roses, but realized that might be too much, considering he still wasn’t sure what exactly it was he wanted to tell her. He couldn’t remember if Molly had a favorite flower, so he went with whatever the florist suggested.  
  
When he pulled up to the house he noticed it looked empty, with no lights on. ‘That’s odd, maybe she went back to bed’ he thought and opened the front door.  
  
“Molly?” He called, but no answer. He went up to her room, but she wasn’t there either. He gave up looking and called her, setting the flowers aside.  
  
“Hello?” She answered.  
  
“Where are you?” Harry asked, trying to mask the concerned tone in his voice.  
  
“Waiting to talk to Jeff. Aren’t you supposed to be getting your hair cut?” She asked.  
  
“It can wait. I came home early because,” Harry paused and glanced at the flowers. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. “Why are you waiting to talk to Jeff?”  
  
“He’s in a meeting, so I’m waiting with his receptionist,” Molly explained, and moved far enough away that she wouldn’t be overheard.  
  
“But, why do you need to talk to him, in person?” Harry could not think of a moment when Molly had actually wanted to talk to Jeff.  
  
Molly sighed. “Because, you were right.”  
  
“About what?”  
  
“This morning, when you said I was more like your manager than your fake girlfriend.”  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that-”  
  
“And,” Molly continued. “Last week after the show in New York, Jeff offered to be Daisy’s manager, and she’d rather work for me. I think she was joking, and at the time I thought Jeff was joking when he offered me a job.”  
  
“He did what?” Harry felt his throat tighten. This was not going to plan at all.  
  
“It makes sense, though, considering this is what I went to school for, kind of. I think I’ve been doing okay so far with you.” Molly sighed. “I can’t pretend to be your girlfriend forever. For the obvious reason, that you’ll find a real girlfriend, and for the practical reason, that I need an actual job.”  
  
“But, you have a job, right? I thought you were still writing something. And, as for the other thing,” Harry laughed nervously, “That’s not going to happen.”  
  
“Harry, I saw how you were around Daisy...trust me, you’ll find someone pretty easily.” Molly laughed. “And I don’t want to have to be ‘the other girl’ when that happens, it’s not fun.”  
  
Harry sighed; this was all his fault. “Are you breaking up with me?” His heart dropped to his stomach.  
  
Molly laughed quietly. “Considering we’re not actually dating, no. I’m just talking with Jeff to see if that offer was serious and what it would entail. Then, we can talk about ‘us’ and how that would be affected. Maybe managers can’t date their clients, who knows.”  
  
“No, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. She was his manager, and they got married,” Harry rebutted, maybe a bit too quickly.  
  
“Well, it would give us a good excuse to break up,” Molly added.  
  
“Wouldn’t it look like you were just dating me to get that position? Surely it would take years to work up to that level.”  
  
“Dating you would be a lot of work, just to get a job,” Molly teased, but her laughter died down quickly.  
  
“Don’t do it.” Harry said suddenly.  
  
“What?” Molly asked quietly.  
  
“Don’t meet with Jeff.” Harry paused and chose his words carefully before continuing. “You were right, it would be pretty easy for me to find a girl. Easy, in the sense that she’s been right in front of me the whole time, it’s just taken me awhile to realize it. And, you wouldn’t have to be ‘the other girl’, because you would be-”  
  
“Hold on,” Molly cut him off, and in the background he heard Jeff’s voice. It was muffled and distant, but he could make him out clear enough.  
  
“You wanted to meet with me?” He said.  
  
“Actually, can I reschedule? Something’s come up,” Molly answered, and Harry’s heart leapt back up to his throat. Harry couldn’t hear what Jeff said after that because his heart was beating too loudly and his head was spinning. “You still there Harry?”  
  
“Yes, I’m here,” he managed to say, and swallowed hard.  
  
“Can you pick me up? I took an uber here and the driver was hella sketchy.”  
  
“Absolutely, I’ll be right there.” Harry hung up and grabbed his keys again, and rested his hand on the flowers he’d bought for her.  
  
 _‘Should I bring them with me?’_  He paused for half a second before grabbing them, and threw the flowers in the passenger seat. He glanced down at them as he drove to make sure they were okay.  
  
 _‘I should have gotten daisies. Then, if this doesn't go the way I think it’s going to go, I could just say they were a joke’_  He shook his head.  _‘Screw it, Harry, this is no time to play it safe.’_  
  



	17. Chapter 17

Molly stood on the side of the street in front of the building Jeff’s office was in. She anxiously watched for Harry’s car, and looked back to see if Jeff had followed her outside to continue their conversation. When she called him this morning and said she wanted to talk, she was optimistic when he said he wanted to talk to her too. Yet, her brief conversation with him at reception after she ended her phone call with Harry proved that she had misjudged his tone on the phone that morning.  
  
Harry pulled up to the curb, and Molly jumped into the front seat quickly, while looking over her shoulder for Jeff. “Go, go go go!” She said breathlessly.  
  
“Uh, okay...” Harry drove off, back into traffic, not sure why Molly was in such a hurry. “Um, I hate to tell you, but-”  
  
“What am I sitting on?” Molly scooted over in her seat. “Oh…” She looked up at Harry, and as they stopped at a red light, his eyes met hers.  
  
“It’s nothing.” He reached over to grab the squashed flowers and tossed them in the back seat.  
  
“Were those… are those flowers?” Molly asked and settled into her seat.  
  
“Yeah, just, uh, left over from, nothing.” Harry was glad the light finally changed. “Why were you in such a hurry?"  
  
“Uh…” Now it was Molly’s turn to be embarrassed. “When I called Jeff after you left this morning, he said he wanted to talk to me as well, and I assumed we were on the same page.”  
  
“Uh oh?” Harry glanced at her.  
  
“I thought he was interested in hiring me, or letting me be a consultant at least - you know, provide some fan insight.” Molly took a deep breath. “But, I guess he was a little upset about Daisy; he thought, maybe, I had set you guys up, that I told her to say that, or that I was trying to embarrass him.”  
  
“What? He’s trying to blame that on you?” Harry could not believe it. He almost wanted to turn around and go back to Jeff’s office to give him a piece of his mind.  
  
“He’s just mad, and trying to put the blame on someone, I guess I’m an easy target because I’m the one who found her online.” Molly shrugged. Honestly, she was just embarrassed she thought Jeff had wanted to hire her, and wanted to drop the subject.  
  
“He can’t do that, though, you don’t even work for him? Seriously, you’re my girlfriend and you’re just trying to help out because he was failing at his job.” Harry shook his head and wondered if this would count as reasonable cause to fire his manager.  
  
“Harry, speed limit,” Molly reminded him as she caught a glimpse of the speedometer.  
  
“Sorry, I just can’t tolerate that kind of behavior from my manager.” Harry took a deep breath and they pulled into his driveway.  
  
“Harry,” Molly said as she got out of the car. “Are you going to leave those flowers in here?”  
  
“Uh, I guess I should bring them in.” Harry returned to the car to grab the flowers, but Molly had already snatched them up.  
  
“They still look nice, we can put them in a vase.” Molly pulled the plastic back to inspect them, and noticed a card. “Were these from a fan?”  
  
She looked up at Harry as he retrieved something to put the flowers in. “Um, yes?” He filled the vase with water and set it on the counter.  
  
“Well, this card attached to them says, ‘to my special lady’, so….” Molly raised her eyebrow. “Were you in drag?”  
  
Harry laughed nervously. “Yeah, right, actually, um…”  
  
“I know it’s only 12, but do you want a drink?” Molly pulled a bottle of whisky off the shelf and held it up.  
  
“Sure, maybe just a little.” Harry grabbed some glasses.  
  
“So, you were getting your hair cut, dressed in drag, and a fan handed you these flowers?” Molly asked and poured them a bit more than a little whisky.  
  
“Well, I never actually made it to the haircut, I got distracted.” Harry took a sip.  
  
“Good, I always liked you better with long hair.” Molly smiled.  
  
“Really?” Harry raised his eyebrow.  
  
“Oh my god yes. I wanted to run my hands through it and braid it; it looked so luscious,” Molly smiled and bit her lip. “I cried when you cut it.”  
  
“Really?” Harry almost laughed. “I had to do it, for the movie.”  
  
“I know, but you could have grown it back,” she whined, and reached up to ruffle his hair.  
  
“I don’t know,” Harry shrugged. “I just didn’t want to be ‘the guy with the hair’ you know?”  
  
“Harry with the long hair. Is that like Becky with the good hair?” Molly laughed.  
  
“No, I don’t really plan on having an affair with Jay-Z.” Harry grinned.  
  
“Oh look, my glass is empty.” Molly smiled and refilled her glass. “So, back to the flowers. A fan just handed you these flowers, with the wrong card on it.”  
  
“The card looks generic…” Harry flipped the card over and inspected it.  
  
“Harry, this is your handwriting…” Molly pointed out..  
  
“Is it really? I hadn’t noticed...” Harry shrugged and bit his lip.  
  
“Come on Harry, admit it...” Molly leaned forward on the counter. “They were for Jeff.”  
  
Harry laughed and reached for the bottle of whisky. “Yup, you got me. Jeff is my special lady.”  
  
“I knew it!” Molly laughed and grabbed the bottle back from him to refill her glass too. “They’re nice flowers, though, I like them.”  
  
“You do?” Harry perked up.  
  
“Yeah, if I hadn’t sat on them, I’d think they looked very nice. Did you pick these out yourself?” Molly looked through the flowers.  
  
“No, I let the florist do it.” Harry conceded.  
  
“So, you said, ‘I want something that says ‘I love my manager’.’” Molly laughed.  
  
“Exactly.” Harry nodded and grinned. “Hey, you might want to pace yourself there.” He put his hand on the bottle as she reached for it again.  
  
“Sorry, I get horny when I’m drunk.” Molly giggled. “Or, I get drunk when I’m horny?” She thought for a moment as she tried to work this out.  
  
“Are you trying to say you want to take this upstairs?” Harry thought this might be a suitable distraction to get her mind off the flowers.  
  
“Or, right here is fine.” Molly hoisted herself up on the counter and kicked off her shoes.  
  
“Or, we could go upstairs, because that’s where the condoms are?”Harry tried to take her hand.  
  
“Only if you carry me.” Molly wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.  
  
“You want me to carry you? Alright.” Harry shrugged, and pulled her closer, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
“This is just like my fanfiction. Except you had longer hair,” Molly reached up to ruffle his hair again, wishing it was longer.  
  
“Stop mentioning the fanfiction.” Harry laughed, and carried her upstairs to his bedroom.  
  
  
Twenty minutes of passionate love-making later, Harry and Molly lay in bed catching their breaths.  
  
“Okay, Harry,” Molly rolled over to look at him and propped herself up on her elbow. “Now that that’s out of the way... who were the flowers for?”  
  
Harry took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling as he tried to get his head back in order. “Ummm…..I just thought, you know, you’ve been doing a great job, and, I wanted to show you my appreciation.”  
  
“Thank you, I’m not sure I deserve that, though.” Molly rolled on her back and looked up at the ceiling.  
  
“Nonsense, of course you do.” Harry rolled over to face her. “You know, I was going to get you some daisies, but I decided not to…”  
  
“Thank you.” Molly glanced over at him. “I do like daisies though.”  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Harry rolled on his back again and fidgeted with the hem of the blanket.  
  
It was quiet for a moment as they both contemplated in silence. Finally, Molly turned to him, and rolled over so she was right next to him.  
  
“Harry, be honest with me.” She said.  
  
“Okay?” He glanced at her, then back at the ceiling.  
  
“No, really honest. Look at me.” She slid over and rolled on top of him, so she could look him in the eye. “Harry?”  
  
“Molly?” He replied and looked up at her. She was naked, and a bit distracting, and Harry hoped that the lower half of his body, which she was sitting on, would cooperate.  
  
She took a deep breath as she sat on his lap, watching the butterfly rise and fall as he breathed. “I don’t think Jeff wants me interfering with your career anymore, being your mini-manager so to speak. So, what are we going to do about that?”  
  
Harry blinked and tried to clear the image of her breasts, floating right above his head, from his mind. “I don’t know, you can maybe help me fix my career other ways? I mean, there are still many things you can help me with, as my fake girlfriend.”  
  
“You mean, besides this?” Molly raised her eyebrow.  
  
“Well, this is different, right?” Harry replied. “This wasn’t part of the initial deal, but it’s certainly mutually beneficial, I think-”  
  
Molly cut him off with a kiss, and held his face in her hands. “Okay, Harry, I’m going to be honest, and this isn’t just the whisky talking. I think you, maybe, want to take this fake relationship a little further, and make it not quite so fake?” She wasn’t sure where this sudden confidence had come from, but something about their phone conversation that morning made her think she wasn’t wrong.  
  
Harry had no response, and stared wide-eyed back at her.  
  
“Alright, you don’t need to say anything now.” She kissed his nose. “I’m going to take a shower.”  
  
Harry remained immobile in bed as she climbed into his shower. “Hey Harry?” She called and stepped out of the shower.  
  
He sat up to look at her.  
  
“I miss the bathtub back in London, when are we going back?” She asked and adjusted the shower.  
  
“Um,” Harry cleared his throat. “Soon, if you want.”  
  
“I really do miss that bathtub. You know, I always imagined you’d just climb in there with me one day. You know, all those times you decided to just pop in and visit me in the bath….”  
  
 _‘Same’_  Harry thought and watched her climb back into the shower.  _‘Wait, should I join her?’_  
  
Harry slipped out of bed and joined her in the shower. “I hope you don’t mind… I thought maybe we could conserve water and share the shower.”  
  
“Of course, this shower is certainly big enough for the two of us.” Molly turned around and handed him some soap. Harry took the soap, and began washing her back once she’d turned around again.  
  
“Oh, um, no thanks.” Molly took a step away. “I meant that you could wash yourself with it.”  
  
“Right.” Harry turned and faced his shower head.  
  
“I’m not sure having four shower heads for two people is really considered conserving water.” Molly smirked.  
  
“True, but it’s better than four shower heads for one person,” Harry replied with a half smile. “But, um, yeah; I’m not exactly here just to save water.”  
  
“Oh?” She turned around to face him and nearly ran into his chest they were so close.  
  
“No, the thing is...” Harry took a deep breath. “You’re right.”  
  
“About…?” Molly was pretty sure she knew about what, and couldn’t find it in her to make a snarky comment like ‘I usually am right’. Instead she waited for Harry to answer.  
  
“I’ve come to see you as more than just my fake girlfriend. And I don’t just mean the friends-with-benefits thing. I hate to admit it, but...” Harry finally broke eye contact. “It wasn’t until yesterday, when Daisy said she had a girlfriend and therefore became completely unavailable to me, that I finally realized it. It’s like she was the sun, and you were the moon; when the sun finally set, I realized the moon had been there all along.”


	18. Chapter 18

Molly felt the hot water pour over her back, steam swirling around the shower between her and Harry. Little droplets of water formed on Harry’s eyelashes, making him look ethereal and angelic.  
  
_‘Ironic,’_  Molly thought, as she pieced together her response. They were just inches apart, and if they had not just finished a round of whiskey and angst fueled sex, she would have been all over him.  
  
“Ohhh Harry...” Molly closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sure that sounded better in your head, but open up your eyes, shut your mouth, and see that  _you’re_ the only one who’s been in love with you.” She brushed past him out of the shower and grabbed a towel.  
  
“Hey...” He turned around. “You can’t use my own lyrics against me. And what is that even supposed to mean?”  
  
“Really, Harry?” Molly flipped her hair forward and wrapped it up in a towel. “You realized you couldn’t have Daisy, so you settled for the next best thing? Or the closest available thing?”  
  
“That’s not what I meant.” He reached back into the shower to turn it off, and Molly tossed him a towel.  
  
“The sun is not available, so instead of going after another star, you’re going to settle for the moon, because it’s closest? The moon is basically just a shiny rock reflecting the sun. I’m guessing you’re Earth in this metaphor?”  
  
“Molly, that’s, I don’t know, maybe I’m Earth?” Harry finished drying off and wrapped the towel around his waist as he tried to sort his thoughts out.  
  
“You do realize the Earth revolves around the sun, and the moon around the Earth?” Molly took a step closer. “Are you saying my life revolves around you?”  
  
“No, I didn’t mean it like that-”  
  
“Because it kind of does. I can’t get a job, I can’t get a boyfriend, I’m just stuck pretending to be your girlfriend-”  
  
“Molly.” Harry took a step closer.  
  
“And pretty soon, I’m going to have to start paying off my student loans-”  
  
“Molly...” He took another step.  
  
“I can’t even help my mom find an apartment because I’m stuck with you all the time, so she’s staying in the guest bedroom of my parents’ house while they go through a divorce-”  
  
Harry leaned in the last few inches and kissed her, interrupting her long string of complaints. He carefully cupped her face with his hand, and to his surprise, she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him. It was so different than how she’d clung to him less than an hour ago as he carried her up the stairs to his bedroom; it was more like she was holding on to the only stable thing in her life as the rest of it swirled around her in a tornado.  
  
“We can fix that. All of it. Well, I can’t fix your parent’s divorce, I’m sorry, but we can get your mom a new place. And, I don’t know about getting you a job, but since that’s my fault, I can pay off your student loans. As long as they’re not, like, more than one million dollars, because that would raise a bit of suspicion.” Harry smirked.  
  
Molly relaxed in his arms a bit and pulled away so she could see him. “Are you trying to bribe me into dating you?”  
  
“I don’t recall asking you out?” Harry smirked.  
  
“Good, maybe I don’t want to.” Molly half smiled and left to get dressed in her room.  
  
Harry fell back onto his bed once she was gone.  _‘What the hell was that?’_  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  _‘Okay, it wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t a yes. You’re doing great, Harry…’_  
  
***  
  
“I’m sorry, I know there’s a fee for canceling an appointment less than 24 hours in advance, but is there any way I could reschedule instead?” Daisy realized Zoe probably did not cancel that doctor’s appointment she’d asked her to, and found the number online herself.  
  
“No problem, would next week be better for you?” The receptionist asked.  
  
“That’s fine.” Daisy answered.  
  
“Is that still within the right time frame?” The receptionist asked, and Daisy nodded.  
  
“Yes,” she answered, realizing the receptionist couldn’t see her, and got through the rest of the phone call as quickly as possible.  
  
  
***  
  
Harry and Molly inadvertently avoided each other the rest of the day because they were both a bit embarrassed about what they’d said earlier. Molly kept herself busy working on finishing up the book she was ghost writing, and Harry found himself wandering, again taking another late night walk.  
  
As he looked up at the moon late that night, he wondered how he could have done that differently. The moon isn’t so bad, is it? Harry thought it was quite beautiful and admired it’s waxing shape. Perhaps if he had just called her the moon and left Daisy out of it, she would have been more appreciative.  
  
_‘Yes, that’s definitely the problem’,_  Harry thought as he sat down on a bench to look at the moon and stars, hearing the waves lap at the beach somewhere far below him.  _‘It’s fascinating how the moon controls the ocean’s tide. And the phases of the moon are ever changing but so consistent.’_  Harry pondered if he should take this metaphor further, or just drop it, since it hadn’t gotten him much gain before.  
  
_‘And what the fuck did she mean, quoting Only Angel like that?’_  Harry tipped his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the LA night. He mentally repeated the line she’d spat at him earlier in the shower and tried to make sense of it.  
  
“She thinks I’m in love with myself,” he said out loud, maybe to the moon. “She thinks I’m self-obsessed, and could never love anyone more than myself.”  
  
‘ _But that’s not true, is it?’_  He asked himself. After all, it was Harry who’d written those words about himself, but he didn’t mean it that way. He looked back up at the moon and pondered its imperfections and not quite round shape.  
  
“No, she’s not the moon,” Harry said to it as he stood up. “She’s an angel.”  
  
Harry smiled to himself as he walked home, proud that he’d figured that one out. He wondered if he should sing her ‘Hey Angel’ or ‘Only Angel’, or maybe both? Or maybe ‘Girl Almighty’, or even ‘Where do Broken Hearts Go?’ might be more appropriate. Harry silently tread up the steps and stopped for a moment outside her door, open just enough that he could see in.  
  
_‘Or perhaps Stockholm Syndrome?’_  Harry thought, as he recalled Molly’s comment earlier about the moon revolving around the Earth, and how trapped she seemed. He shook his head and went to bed, reminding himself that she could leave if she wanted to. ‘ _Right?’_  
  
The following morning, Harry tried to think of a way to entice Molly to the studio, where he was waiting with Mitch, Sarah, Adam, and Clare. They had to rehearse for the upcoming tour anyway, so he hadn’t dragged them all to the studio just to sing to his girlfriend.  
  
Harry sat, staring at his phone, trying to come up with a text.  
  
“Just call her,” Mitch suggested.  
  
“I have to think of what I’m going to say beforehand, or I’ll just stammer and say ‘ummm’ for a few minutes,” Harry replied, and they laughed.  
  
“Tell her you miss her,” Clare suggested.  
  
“Or, have her bring us lunch?” Sarah laughed, and Adam agreed.  
  
“I could go for lunch, too.” Adam said.  
  
Harry sighed. “Okay, what do you all want for lunch?”  
  
Once they’d gotten their lunch order figured out, Harry finally called Molly to see if she could pick it up for them. While he stepped out to make the phone call, the rest of his band chatted about their upcoming lunch and tour.  
  
“So, does anyone know what’s going on with Daisy?” Adam asked.  
  
Most of them shrugged. “I know Harry wanted her to tour with us, but she never seemed too keen on that idea. After her...announcement, I could see that not happening.” Clare suggested.  
  
“That’s too bad, she’s pretty good,” Mitch commented.  
  
“I’m sure someone else will take her on, she’s certainly gotten her name out there,” Sarah added, and they all looked up when Harry returned.  
  
“Molly’s busy,” he seemed perplexed. “She said she’s interviewing Daisy, and they could both come here, but she couldn’t come on her own until later.” He glanced up at his band, not sure what he should do.  
  
“But what about our lunch?” Adam asked, and the others murmured in agreement.  
  
“I’ll go get it.” Harry was about to turn around, but they stopped him.  
  
“We haven’t seen Daisy since, you know...so maybe they can both come?” Sarah spoke up.  
  
“But it’ll be weird, won’t it? With them both here?” Harry asked.  
  
“She’s your girlfriend.” Mitch shrugged.  
  
“Right…I’ll just...” he turned around and left to call her again.  
  
“That boy is so awkward, someone help him!” Sarah laughed, and the others joined her.  
  
“Alright, let’s start from the beginning.” Harry entered and they stopped laughing. He picked up his guitar while the rest of his band set up, each exchanging confused glances with each other. “We’ll start with ‘Ever Since New York’, ready?”  
  
They had nearly made it through the first three songs on the set list before Molly and Daisy showed up. They were just playing the last few notes of ‘Carolina’ when Harry saw them, and motioned for his band to start playing the song they had practiced that morning.  
  
“If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you,” Harry started, and Molly stopped in her tracks, nearly dropping the take out she was carrying. “I think I might give up everything just ask me to.”  
  
“How did he know this my favorite song from Made In the AM?” Molly whispered, and Daisy glanced at her, before they both sat down and listened to the rest of the song. It was so weird to hear Harry singing it on his own without the other boys, yet at the same time it seemed so right. Especially since he was singing it directly at Molly.  
  
“....For your eyes only.” The song concluded and Harry’s eyes remained locked on Molly’s.  
  
She blinked a few times, shocked that she was feeling a bit emotional to hear Harry singing to her. Next to her, Daisy shifted over a bit, sensing she wasn’t a part of whatever was going on.  
  
“Molly,” Harry said with a bright smile. “You’re the bright, shining, moon that lights my darkest nights; you keep me sane, normal, and on schedule, like the tides, and uh…” Harry decided to leave the part about the moon’s cycles out of this metaphor. “And, I’d be the happiest guy on Earth if you’d be my girlfriend.”  
  
Molly gasped, and this time she really did drop the paper bag containing their lunch. “I..Harry, I don’t know what to say!”  
  
“I thought you were already dating?” Daisy whispered, and exchanged confused glances with the band.  
  
But Harry and Molly didn’t hear them, as they were wrapped up in their own little moon-lit world. Yet, as seconds ticked by, that little moon-lit world melted around them and Harry was suddenly aware that everyone was watching them.  
  
“You don’t have to answer right away.” Harry smiled meekly, and Molly nodded, biting her lip. The pair seemed frozen in place, and one by one, Harry’s band began exchanging glances.  
  
“Sorry to interrupt, but I’m going to grab our lunch; it’s nice out, maybe we’ll eat outside?” Sarah said as she stood up, the others following her. Daisy left with them, and it was just Molly and Harry, still standing in the same places they had been when the song ended.  
  
“That was very sweet of you; how’d you know that was my favorite song from that album?” Molly finally said.  
  
“Is it really?” Harry smiled. “I had no idea.” It was quiet for a moment. “Why were you interviewing Daisy?”  
  
“I got an exclusive.” Molly smiled. “It wasn’t that hard, I have an inside source. I thought if we showed Daisy’s side of the story, it would take some of the blame off you and your management.”  
  
“Oh.” Harry swallowed.  
  
“And, I think I am going to take some time to answer. I don’t want to jump into anything too fast without thinking.” Molly smiled apologetically. She felt bad for leaving him hanging like this, but if things went south between the two as a real couple, they’d probably have to end the fake relationship too.  
  
“Right, take your time.” Harry forced himself to smile as Molly turned to leave. “You know where to find me,” he called after her and sat down.  
  
Harry sighed.  _‘That was too much, wasn’t it’._  
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter overlaps with the last chapter and starts soon after the shower scene (when Harry goes off to stare at the moon).

_**A/N:**  This chapter overlaps with the last chapter and starts soon after the shower scene (when Harry goes off to stare at the moon)._  
  
  
  
Molly was trying to decide how to fix whatever it was she had messed up with Jeff and get back on his good side, and prove she was in fact trying to help Harry’s career, not hurt it. Yet, she was also considering Harry’s offer to pay off her student loans because she couldn’t get a job, since she was stuck with him, pretending to be his girlfriend. It was certainly a nice offer, but Molly was an independent woman and couldn’t take such a gift without some kind of repayment. While she would love to pay Harry back in sexual favours, she thought she’d go for something a bit more tangible and long lasting.  
  
Late that evening it hit her: she had met Harry because she was assigned to interview him. Why not get an ‘exclusive’ with Daisy and let her share her side of the story? Dispel some rumors and straighten out the story of how they met?  
  
A quick phone call to her contact at the site she had written the previous article for, and the interview was set in motion. Molly contacted Daisy, and she eagerly agreed, since she too had some things she wanted to clarify and set straight.  
  
The two met for breakfast the next morning and began their interview, which was only interrupted when their food arrived. They took a break from talking about ‘work’ to discuss more causal topics, since Molly hadn’t really gotten to know Daisy that well.  
  
“How do you like the banana pancakes? They’re the best, right? Harry took me here once, and I’ve loved them ever since.” Molly asked as they finished up. They had ordered the same thing, at Molly’s suggestion, since Daisy hadn’t tried banana pancakes before.  
  
“Yeah, they’re pretty good.” Daisy smiled, and the waiter came to clear their plates and refilled their drinks.  
  
“So, back to our questions here.” Molly pulled her notepad out of her purse again. “Are you planning on going on tour with Harry?”  
  
Daisy sighed. “I don’t know. Things have gotten complicated, and I don’t want to make it worse. While I like performing with him and his band, I know the kind of speculation and backlash we’ll face. It’s okay when we record something and post it online, because I don’t have to read the negative comments. But if we’re on stage together, in front of hundreds, or even thousands of people...it’s a little hard to ignore.”  
  
“I don’t think anyone would be out-rightly rude to your face at a concert. His fans can be nasty sometimes, but I doubt any of them would try to boo you off the stage or throw anything at you. Harry would not stand for that, for sure,” Molly tried to reassure her.  
  
Daisy shrugged. “I know he wouldn’t, but the way they were looking at me at the two shows we did together...it’s like I could feel them hating me.”  
  
“Things are different now. Now that they know you’re not secretly dating him, or just trying to sleep with him, I’m sure they’ll see you differently.” Molly explained.  
  
“True.” Daisy laughed. “It’s funny you should say that, though, because I was just remembering back to when I first met him. He wasn’t what I was expecting, and he was so different from-” Daisy suddenly stopped talking and brought her hand up to her mouth, her other hand wrapped around her stomach.  
  
“Are you okay?” Molly asked.  
  
Daisy sat frozen for a moment before jumping up. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She ran towards the bathroom.  
  
Molly sat patiently and looked over her notes.  _‘Those banana pancakes must not be agreeing with her,_ ’ she thought, until she remembered they’d eaten the same thing. Molly felt fine, so she figured it must be something else. When Daisy returned, she was pale, but not as green as she had been a moment ago.  
  
“Did you have a late night out?” Molly teased, but saw Daisy was not in a joking mood. “Because this is the second time today you’ve left suddenly.”  
  
“No, I don’t really drink that often.” Daisy sat down and took a drink of water.  
  
“I think I have some gum, if you’d like.” Molly dug through her purse and found a stick of gum for Daisy.  _‘She’s a vegetarian, doesn’t drink, and doesn’t like boys...as if I needed another reason to be jealous of her’_  Molly thought and smiled to herself as they settled in to complete the interview. “If you’re not feeling well, we can finish this some other time. I certainly don’t want to catch whatever stomach bug you have, so I don’t mind calling it a day.”  
  
Daisy shook her head. “I’m fine now, I don’t have a stomach bug.”  
  
“Well, we know you’re not pregnant,” Molly joked and picked up her notepad. She looked up at Daisy to ask the next question, but noticed Daisy was staring intently at the floor, skin a few shades paler than normal. “I was joking. Because you’re a lesbian.” Molly smiled and tried to lighten the mood, but Daisy remained unmoving. “Right?”  
  
Daisy slowly lifted her head and Molly realized the girl was crying. Instinctively, she moved to the other side of the table and wrapped her arm comfortingly around her, and found a tissue in her purse for Daisy. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s fine. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but if you do, I’m here for you.”  
  
Daisy sobbed quietly onto Molly’s shoulder and wiped her eyes with the tissue Molly had given her. Molly quickly looked around, but the cafe was empty and they were in a secluded booth near the back, so they probably wouldn’t be overheard.  
  
“It’s just that,” Daisy took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “I’m gay, why should I be on the pill?”  
  
Molly’s heart froze when she realized she may have been right. Her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment and her head spun. “Oh my god,” she said quietly.  
  
“I always felt that I was attracted to the person, not the gender. Maybe that makes me bisexual or pansexual, I don’t know.” Daisy took another steadying breath. “I’ve found some men attractive, but I had never been sexually attracted to a guy before...until, him.”  
  
Molly remained frozen as she tried to absorb this information and come up with an appropriate response.  
  
“He said he wasn’t like other guys,” Daisy continued. “And he wasn’t; at least not the few guys I had tried dating in high school. I was in such a weird place in my life at the time, and I was really doubting some of the choices I’d made, so I went for it. It was purely physical, and fun, and I felt nothing for him.”  
  
Molly’s head was going a thousand miles a minute as she did the math. Right before Daisy got sick she said something about how Harry was ‘different’ and ‘not what she was expecting’...and now, she’s saying she slept with a guy who was ‘not like other guys, different’. Harry met Daisy about three weeks ago; that was enough time for Daisy to miss her period and realize she was pregnant.  
  
Molly’s cheeks were now flushed red with anger, not embarrassment. When she’d asked him about it, Harry said he hadn’t slept with Daisy, that he ‘hadn’t even tried.’ Maybe he meant he didn’t have to try because it was so easy? He just had to look at her, the way he looked at Molly, and she’d fall to her knees, the way Molly did. Molly knew from experience Harry didn’t necessarily use a condom (he said he usually did, but they hadn’t their first time) and now, his selfishness or forgetfulness had led to Daisy being pregnant.  
  
Daisy hiccupped another sob which brought Molly’s attention back to focus. “How do I tell my girlfriend I’m pregnant?”  
  
“Are you sure you are? Did you take a pregnancy test?” Molly asked, and Daisy nodded.  
  
“Three, all positive.”  
  
 _‘I’m in way over my head’_. Molly sighed. “Well, I don’t know; I’ve never cheated on anyone before, but I have been cheated on. Except, my boyfriend didn’t get pregnant, he got syphilis. As far as I know he got it from another woman, but if he’d gotten it from a man, I would have been just as mad because the bottom line is: he cheated.” Molly sighed. As angry as she was, she still felt bad for Daisy, especially since she’s the one who introduced her to Harry. “I don’t know, maybe your girlfriend will want a baby; is that something you’ve ever talked about? If so, it saves you the hassle and cost of finding a sperm donor? I guess that would make him a bit like Ross from ‘Friends’.” Molly realized how ironic that was, since Harry loved that show. Did that make her Rachel? “And, I guess you should tell him as well,” Molly sighed, though it was more of an angry huff.  
  
“Who?” Daisy looked over at her for a moment.  
  
“You know,  _him_ , the father.” She didn’t even want to say his name.  
  
“No, I mean, who’s Ross? I haven’t seen ‘Friends’.” Daisy clarified.  
  
“Oh, um, Ross’ first wife Carol got pregnant while they were getting a divorce, because Carol had fallen in love with a woman. She and her partner raised Ross’ son as their own. So, it’s kinda similar, I guess.” Molly shrugged.  
  
Daisy shook her head. “I don’t know if we could do that. We’ve been together two years, but I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mom? I’m 25, and my girlfriend’s a couple years older, so we’re old enough, I guess. I’ve never really thought about it; I honestly never thought I’d have to deal with this.”  
  
“Well, you should still tell him. He’s the father, he has the right to know. He’ll probably want to be involved in its life, too.” Molly sighed. She’d certainly read enough fanfiction about Harry knocking up a girl, but as she read them, she imagined she’d be the girl getting knocked up, not the girlfriend who got to help him raise someone else’s kid. Then again, she wasn’t actually his girlfriend, and she could still get out while she had the chance.  
  
“I agree, I’d love to tell him for those exact reasons. But I can’t.” Daisy looked at her, but Molly could not bring her eyes up the girl’s face.  
  
“I can come with you, if you’d like, if you want some support,” she offered.  
  
“No, it’s not that. I don’t even know where to find him, or what his last name is. It was a one night stand with some guy who came into the bar I was playing in.”  
  
An invisible weight was lifted off Molly’s chest as she realized Harry had been telling the truth about not sleeping with Daisy, and was therefore not the father. ‘ _I can’t believe I doubted him. So he’s not Ross, and I’m not Rachel. Though, Daisy is kinda still Carol….’_  “That’s really unfortunate.” Molly tried not to show how relieved she was feeling.  
  
“All I know is his name is Connor, or at least that’s what he told me. I could try asking at the bar, see if maybe he was a regular, but at this point....I’m not sure I want to go through with it,” Daisy said quietly.  
  
“Like, adoption, or…” Molly didn’t want to say it if that wasn’t what she meant.  
  
“No, not adoption,” Daisy clarified, and Molly nodded.  
  
“It’s up to you. I don’t know what I would do in your situation, but think about it. Talk to a close friend, or your girlfriend. She may want this,” Molly suggested.  
  
“But I’m not sure I want this,” Daisy said quietly. “And I don’t want to tell her, and ruin our relationship. You said you broke up with your boyfriend because he cheated on you, so I don’t know why my girlfriend would act any differently.”  
  
“He was a dick anyway, and we’d only been dating for about six months. But you’ve been together, what, two years?” Molly asked.  
  
“Almost two and a half.”  
  
“And it was a one night stand, right? So, it probably won’t happen again - unless you liked it?” Molly realized she’d never heard whether or not the experience was at least enjoyable or not.  
  
“Ehhh...” Daisy made a face and started to smile. “It only confirmed what I’d heard: men don’t know what they’re doing.”  
  
Molly nodded. “So true.”  
  
“I’m guessing Harry does not fall into that category?” Daisy asked with a smirk.  
  
Her question caught Molly off guard and she froze with her mouth half open, but her reddening cheeks gave her away.  
  
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Daisy bit her lip. “That’s what I thought; he seems like he’s had a lot of practice.”  
  
“Probably, yes.” Molly wasn’t sure how to respond.  
  
“Not that I think he’s a slut,” Daisy added quietly, and Molly’s phone rang.  
  
“Oh, speak of the devil.” Molly smiled and answered the phone. “Hey Harrbear!”  
  
“Hey, do you want to, like, join us for lunch at the studio, and maybe pick up some take away on the way here?” He asked, and Molly thought he sounded a little anxious.  
  
“I’m in the middle of interviewing Daisy, I could come now and get lunch, and bring her with me, or I can come on my own when we’re done,” Molly suggested.  
  
“Ummm, hold on, I’ll call you back,” he hung up.  
  
“He’s so awkward sometimes,” Molly smiled at Daisy and put her phone down. “He wants us to pick up their lunch and bring it to the studio for them.”  
  
“I’m not really hungry, but I’d love to see the band. And Harry, of course,” Daisy added.  
  
“He said he’d call back, so I’ll let him know,” Molly said.  
  
“I’m going to make a quick phone call,” Daisy said suddenly, and stood up. She stepped outside and found a quiet place before hitting ‘call’ on her phone.  
  
“Hi, I called yesterday to reschedule an appointment, can I cancel that?” Daisy started when the receptionist answered. “Actually, can I just schedule a different kind of appointment?”  
  
A moment after Daisy left, Molly’s phone rang.  
  
“Hi hon,” Molly answered and listened for a moment, and Daisy returned. “Okay, we’ll pick it up and see you soon.  
  
“Hey, can we keep what we discussed between us?” Daisy asked quietly as they got up.  
  
“Absolutely, I wouldn’t dare tell anyone,” Molly promised, and the two left to pick up lunch before heading to the studio. “You know, it’s funny (and I’m embarrassed I even thought this) but for some reason I thought Harry was the guy you’d slept with.”  
  
“What? I would never!” Daisy laughed as the two got out of the car. “Why would you think that?”  
  
“I don’t know, things are kind of weird between us right now, I think I was just looking for an excuse to be mad at him. Besides, he seemed pretty taken with you those first few weeks,” Molly said quietly before they entered the studio. Harry looked at her and smiled, and his band starting to play a song she recognized immediately.  
  
“If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you,” Harry started, and Molly stopped in her tracks, nearly dropping the take out she was carrying. “I think I might give up everything just ask me to….”  
  
  



	20. Chapter 20

Molly’s head was buzzing with thoughts as she and Harry flew back to London that weekend. She still had yet to give him an answer, and that created a bit of awkwardness between them. On top of that, she was keeping Daisy’s secret, even though she really wanted to talk about it with someone and make sure she had done the right thing.

When their plane touched down in London, Molly realized there was really only one person she could talk to about her situation with Harry: his sister, her “best friend.” It wasn’t ideal to talk about guy issues with the guy’s sister, but she couldn’t go to any of her friends with this conundrum, and no one else really knew about their fake relationship.

Luckily for her, Gemma was willing to help her out, and agreed to come over for lunch while Harry was out. Due to the time difference, Molly was just waking up when Gemma arrived, and didn’t even bother changing out of her pajamas. Luckily Gemma had brought coffee, because Molly needed it after their long flight. Once she’d consumed enough caffeine for her brain to work properly, she sat down with Gemma in the living room to talk about her Harry issue. 

“As you know, Harry and I are pretending to date for...reasons I can’t even remember anymore. But, the fake relationship is for the benefit of his management, so as far as Jeff and the rest of his team are concerned, we’ve been dating since April. And of course, Harry had to complicate it more by actually having feelings for me, and this week he asked me out.” Molly glanced up at Gemma to make sure she was following her story.

“Leave it to Harry to complicate things,” she smiled. “So, I’m guessing you’re wondering if you should turn him down or not?”

Molly nodded. “Exactly. Either way, it’s going to make things awkward, I think. If I turn him down, I think he’ll eventually get over it, but things won’t be the same. On the other hand, if I say yes, I think it could be pretty awesome. When I was 16 I would have killed for the chance to be Harry Styles’ girlfriend. Yet, if we broke up, it would probably have to be the end of...the fake relationship, too.”

Gemma nodded, taking this all in. “Okay, I see how both sides could cause issues. Of course, he’s my little brother and I don’t want him to get his heart broken. I hate to ask this, but-”

“Yes. We’ve had sex, so that’s not a factor in this decision. We decided having a ‘friends with benefits’ kind of relationship would benefit both of us. If that were a factor, yes, oh my god yes I wouldn't hesitate.”

Gemma closed her eyes for a moment. “That’s not what I was going to ask, but thank you. I meant, I hate to ask this - because it should be an obvious factor - but how do you feel about him? Do you want to date him?”

“Oh.” Molly was quiet for a moment and sipped on her coffee. “It’s hard for me to say. Sometimes I have a hard time separating the real Harry from the guy I obsessed over in high school and college, and wrote fanfiction about. The more I’ve gotten to know him, the more I realized they are quite different, yet sometimes they overlap - like a venn diagram. I have been trying so hard not to fall in love with him this past month, because I know it would just complicate things, and I don’t know how to stop resisting that. I keep looking for reasons to not like him, to the point where I assumed he’d knocked up a mutual friend of ours.”

Gemma nearly spat out her coffee. “What? Why would you think that?”

“Well, uh,” Molly tried to work out a way to explain this without giving away Daisy’s secret. “This friend of ours told me recently that she was pregnant, rather, um, unexpectedly-”

“Sorry, I have to interrupt, but this friend of yours isn’t actually you, and you’re just saying it’s a ‘friend’ to avoid an embarrassing situation?” Gemma asked, indicating air quotes around ‘friend.’

“Oh god no; I hope not, at least.” Molly paused. “No, definitely not me, we’re always safe.” Gemma seemed to visibly relax at her reassurance.

“Okay. Because you could tell me that, you know, right?” Gemma asked, and Molly nodded.

“Of course. But, back to my friend. The way she talked about the guy she’d slept with made me think it was Harry, and I jumped to conclusions and immediately assumed he’d slept with her, even though I had asked him about it a while ago, he said he hadn’t. It’s like my brain was so used to finding faults in him that it took something that actually had nothing to do with either of us and turned it against him.” Molly sighed. “Even if I could get past that and stop nitpicking him, I think it has been my ability to find the negativity that’s enabled me to help him fix his career, if that makes sense.”

Gemma was quiet for a moment, so Molly looked up at her. “I guess that’s a risk you’re going to have to take.”

Molly raised her eyebrow. “You mean I should go for it?”

Gemma shrugged. “Well, it’s up to you, but you’ve put enough thought into it to show you really care. I like you; you’re the kind of person he needs, yet this isn’t just about him. As a friend, I have to remind you to put yourself first and consider what you really want. I’m sure you know the consequences of dating him and what his fans will say if they find out. Yet, I know first hand how sweet and kind he is to people he cares about. When he does fall for someone, he falls hard and fast, though it usually doesn’t end pretty.”

Molly was sure she knew who Gemma was talking about and nodded. “That’s not very encouraging.”

“I think you might be the exception to that last part. From what I know about you, I think you already knew that about him and probably factored it into your pros and cons list. I think you guys could balance each other out nicely, and probably last longer than his previous relationships.”

Molly considered this as she inspected the outside of her coffee cup. “You’re right,” she nodded. “Maybe that’s why we make such a convincing fake couple, because we compliment each other so well.”

“Yes,” Gemma pointed. “That is the point I was trying to make.”

Molly leaned back in her seat. “I think I need something stronger than coffee to figure this out.”

Gemma stood up. “I’d love to get a drink with you, but I have to meet my boyfriend in half an hour. Let me know how it goes!”

“I will, and thank you for the coffee,” Molly gave her a hug goodbye and fell back onto the couch once she’d left. She glanced to the right at the liquor cabinet and got up. “Maybe I’ll just have a drink on my own, then.”

Several drinks later, Molly found herself in the kitchen baking cupcakes and dancing to her favorite One Direction songs, still wearing her pajamas. By the time she got to their last album, she was decorating the cupcakes with pink and green icing. She shoved the green icing into a ziplock bag and cut off the corner, since Harry didn’t have the equipment for piping frosting.

‘We’ll have to fix that’ Molly thought, and started making a mental list of all the things Harry needed in his kitchen. ‘If I Could Fly’ came on and she froze, frosting in hand. Molly sat down at the counter in front of the cupcakes and absently started piping the frosting on the the cupcakes. She thought hard about what Gemma had said, and mentally went over her pros and cons list again. Molly was so deep in thought, that she didn’t hear Harry come home.

Harry had stayed out later than he needed to that afternoon. He wasn’t necessarily avoiding Molly, but he wanted to give her space to think. As impatient as he was to get an answer from her, he wanted to make sure she’d thought it through. Yet with each day that passed, Harry became more and more concerned that she was just trying to come up with a way to let him down nicely. 

Harry met with Jeff that afternoon to discuss the upcoming tour, which started in just a month. It was a bit surreal to him doing it all on his own this time around, and throughout the whole meeting he’d wished Molly had been there with him. She would know the right questions to ask about the logistics of the tour and promotion. As their meeting concluded, Jeff informed Harry that Daisy would not be coming on tour with him.

“Really?” He was surprised. He knew Daisy was on the fence about that, but he thought she’d eventually come around.

Jeff nodded. “She said something had come up and had to go home. It’s nothing personal; I think she said something about a family health issue or something.”

Harry couldn’t help but take it personally, since he thought they’d had some kind of connection and yet she couldn’t even tell him in person that she was leaving? He tried to brush it off, assuming he was on edge for other reasons, but couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He went out for a drink with a friend afterward, something he usually did not do, and stayed out later than intended.

When he got home that evening, he certainly did not expect to hear One Direction blasting in his kitchen. When the song changed as he was coming inside, he paused and stood in the doorway to the kitchen, quietly watching Molly as he replayed the look on her face when he’d sang this song for her. It was not the look he had been hoping for, yet, what was he really expecting? It wasn’t realistic that she’d instantly say yes and fall into his arms, and they’d live happily ever after. Harry knew that, yet he had still hoped for something more.

The song ended and Molly glanced up at him finally. She looked surprised to see him, but smiled.

“I made cupcakes,” she grinned and stood up.

“I can see that,” Harry came closer to look at them. “They look delicious.”

Molly looked them over before picking one up. “This one’s for you.”

He took the cupcake and was about to take a bite out of it when he realized the green icing on top spelled out the word ‘yes’. He stared at it for a moment before looking back at Molly and she smiled.

“Yes?” He asked and his face lit up into a smile.

Molly nodded. “Yes, Harry, I will be your girlfriend.”

He grinned and set the cupcake down before drawing her into a tight hug. “The way you kept me waiting I thought for sure it was going to be a ‘no’.”

“I wouldn’t bake cupcakes just to say that,” Molly laughed and pulled out of the hug to smile up at him. “It just took a while to wrap my head around this, and I was half expecting you to say you were joking, is that bad?”

“You were, really?” Harry cocked his head to the side and grabbed his cupcake again. “This is delicious, by the way,” he said after taking a bite.

“Thanks, and yeah. This whole thing, since the day I first met you, has been so surreal and strange for me. I kept thinking I’d wake up and realize I was 19 again, and had accidentally fallen asleep looking at my 1D poster again.”

Harry put the cupcake down for a moment and stared at it. “You haven’t drugged me, have you? Given me some kind of love potion? Because you made cupcakes when we first started pretending to date, as well.”

Molly laughed “God no. 19 year old Molly might have done that, if there was such a thing as a love potion. I just thought it would be appropriate if I made cupcakes for the first day we actually started dating, too.”

Harry nodded and picked up his cupcake again. “That’s very sentimental of you, Molls, I didn’t realize you were the mushy type.”

“Oh, I get a nick-name now that we’re dating?” She laughed.

“Do you not like it? Because I can come up with something better. And, we can finally work on that ship name,” he added.

“Oh boy, the ship name. I’d forgotten about that,” Molly sighed.

“I was thinking Harly.”

“Oh, that’s actually pretty good? Like your bike!” Molly added. “Do you still have a motorcycle?”

“Maybe. Why, you want me to take you out for a ride?” Harry smiled. “I thought you didn’t want to be seen together like that?”

“We’d have helmets, of course, no one has to know it’s us,” Molly grinned. “Hey, have you seen that short series about how Harley-Davidson was created? I think it’s called Harley and the Davidsons? I kinda wanted to watch it; that guy from Game of Thrones is in it.”

“I have not seen it. That sounds like the name of a band made up of hipsters who play banjos,” Harry smirked. “And which guy from Game of Thrones? There’re a lot of guys.”

“The hot one that liked Daenerys.”

“You’re still going to have to be more specific…”

“Dario or something, I can’t remember his name. Come on, let’s watch it,” she grabbed his hand hand pulled him toward the living room. 

“So, is this like our first real date as a couple? Netflix and chill?” Harry asked as they settled in on the couch.

“That depends on what you consider ‘chill’ to mean, and I’m not sure this is a date,” Molly eyed him.

“You’re wearing your pajamas?” Harry turned to her and inspected her outfit, noticing it for the first time since he’d gotten home.

She shrugged. “I didn’t feel like getting dressed.”

“How about I go put on my pajamas, and we can eat cupcakes and watch Netflix together?” Harry stood up.

“You have pajamas?” Molly raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Yeah...I just don’t wear them very often.” Harry answered bashfully. 

“Well, sounds like a perfect date. I knew there was a reason I liked you so much,” Molly teased, and Harry left to get changed. 

Molly pleasantly sighed. ‘So far dating Harry is going pretty okay. I think I could get used to this…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Harley Davidson show I mentioned is kind of interesting, but it’s not that great. I only watched it because my friend’s sister was in it : )


	21. Chapter 21

“So, is this our first date?” Harry asked as the show they were watching concluded. The two were still in pajamas on his couch, the alcohol slowly wearing off as they ate cupcakes.

“Sure,” Molly answered, not really sure. “I mean, we just started dating, so I guess so.”

“I feel like I should take you out on a normal date. Like, get dinner or go to the movies or something,” Harry suggested.

“Well, technically we did see a movie together. And I don’t feel like getting out of my pajamas, so dinner is going to have to wait.”

“When did we go to the cinema?” Harry cocked his head and looked at her.

“‘Dunkirk’, remember?” Molly said. “Though, your mom and sister were there, so I’m not sure it’s really a date.”

“Yeah, and then you slept with Tom that night,” Harry added with a huff.

“We’ve been over that, Harry, let’s not get into it again,” Molly shook her head, but he wouldn’t budge. “You really were jealous of him, weren’t you?”

“Of course,” Harry finally answered. “He slept with my girlfriend.”

“I wasn’t your girlfriend then, and you know that.”

Harry shrugged. “Still felt like it, though,” he added quietly.

They’d been over this before, but it felt different this time. “I’m sorry,” Molly said after a moment.

Harry looked up at her and smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s fine; it’s in the past, and things are different now.”

Molly nodded. “Of course.” 

It was late, so they headed off to bed soon after. Harry paused in the doorway to his bedroom and looked back at Molly as she turned to walk into her room.

“Umm…” he stopped, not sure what he wanted to say.

“What?” Molly stuck her head out of the door to look at him.

“Nothing, I just…” he pointed toward his room. “I’m going to bed now.”

“Me too,” Molly popped back into her room and brushed her teeth without a thought of Harry’s odd statement. ‘He’s weird like that’ she thought, and slipped into bed. 

At breakfast Molly looked through her social media accounts to see what the fans were saying about Harry, and as usual, she filled him in on the important parts. Except this time, she found herself censoring the negativity a bit more than before. ‘He doesn't really need to know that…’

Yet, when she came across one such topic, she giggled and nearly spit out her toast. 

“What?” He looked up from his phone.

“It’s nothing really,” she shook her head and tried to wipe that smile off her face.

“Come on, you can tell me. If you’re laughing, I’m sure it’s not too bad,” he smiled encouragingly, yet he could already tell there was something different about her interaction with him. She usually would not hesitate to share something with him, especially if it was funny.

“Well, uh, some people are speculating what your tour will be like. Now that they know Daisy won’t be joining you, some are concerned that you’ll return to your former cardboard cut-out self that you were at previous performances. But, someone suggested you could try juggling to liven things up,” Molly giggled and glanced up at Harry to see his reaction before continuing. “Someone else commented that there would be 40 minutes of juggling once you’d finished your 10 songs.”

He bit his lips and forced a smile. “Maybe I will throw some juggling into the mix, who knows?”

“Nice pun there, Harry,” Molly grinned, but he looked confused. “I meant using ‘throw’ and ‘juggling’...”

“Oh, right.” He nodded. “I think I just need some more coffee.” He got up to pour himself another cup, before returning to the table. 

“You seem a little tired, did you sleep okay?” Molly asked.

“Kind of, no, I was up thinking about...stuff.” Harry contemplated keeping this to himself. “It’s just, when we went to bed last night, I was kind of assuming you’d come with me. Now that we’re dating we don’t really need two bedrooms. But the more I thought about it, I realized we’d been dating less than 24 hours - even though it feels like much longer - and that was maybe kinda quick to ask a girl to sleep next to you every night. Right?”

‘So that’s what he meant last night…’ Molly nodded. “I agree, and I think it’s good we take it slow. This is certainly not an average relationship in many ways, so it’s probably best we keep things as normal as possible when we can. When we travel, we’ll have to stay together anyway, so it’s probably good we have some space while we’re at home - for now, at least.”

“That’s probably smart.” Harry smiled tiredly. “You think things through way more than I do.”

“I know,” Molly smirked. “If only I’d been around when you were planning your solo career; we could have avoided this whole mess.”

“It’s not that bad, is it?” He grimaced.

“Well….We have certainly improved it over the past month or so.” Molly tried to sound positive, but Harry saw right through her.

“Why don’t you come with me today and help us organize the set list. We’re going to run through the whole show, and I think you could help give us some feedback.”

Molly’s eyebrows shot up. “I didn’t realize you were already at that stage, wow, is your tour coming up that soon? But yes, I’d love to help out. I’m no expert on how concerts work, but I can give my feedback from a fan’s perspective.”

Harry finally smiled in a somewhat convincing way the first time that morning. “Splendid.”

 

Molly settled into her seat in the auditorium Harry and his band were using to practice. Once they’d figured out where they would stand on stage they got started. Molly took out her notepad and began taking notes immediately. It appeared that in her absence the last few days, Jeff had manage to revert Harry back to some of their original ideas. Considering the majority of his concert attendees were most likely going to be 1D fans like Molly, she knew whatever they were trying to pull off was not going to go over well with that crowd.

“Okay, I hate to interrupt, but Harry…” Molly stood up between songs to offer some input. “Are you actually playing that guitar?”

“What?” He looked a little offended.

“I just mean, is it necessary? Because, on songs that you don’t have it, you seem much more comfortable and are more able to engage with the audience.” Molly explained, and his expression softened.

“Um, we might be able to cut back the number of songs I play on,” Harry glanced over at Mitch, and his guitarist shrugged. “We can try to figure that out for tomorrow’s rehearsal.”

“Okay, sorry to interrupt,” Molly held her hands up and sat down to let them continue. 

Jeff was sitting near Molly and moved a few seats closer so he could talk to her. “I liked that piece you wrote about Daisy. Is everything okay between you and Harry? You weren’t around for a few days, and now there’s a bit of tension...did you have a fight or something?”

Molly sighed and tried to think of something that would make Jeff leave her alone. “We just, umm...I read about this new sex position in Cosmo, and I really wanted to try it, but Harry said no.” Molly bit her lips to keep from laughing at her lie, and at Jeff’s reaction.

“Right, well, um, I’m going to….” He moved back to his original seat, and then a few seats further, and avoided looking at Molly the rest of the day. 

When they concluded their first run through the concert, Molly read through her list of complaints. Some of which were met with nods, some were completely ignored (which she understood), and by the end she could tell everyone was a bit tense, so she threw in one last idea, just for fun.

“Since ‘Sign of the Times’ is your last song, I think you should just ascend up into the rafters above the stage as the song ends - like in your music video, you know?” She smiled, and hoped they knew she was joking. 

“I’d have to wear a harness,” Harry finally spoke up after his team exchanged glances.

“And that would be hard to hide under those tight fitting Gucci suits,” Harry’s stylist added.

Molly looked back at Harry, and he quickly averted his eyes. “I thought you weren’t going to wear those on tour.”

“I have to, we’ve signed a contract,” he said quietly.

“Do you want people to talk about you, or what you’re wearing?” Molly responded, not hiding her annoyance with his team. “Is that what all the extra theatrics are for? The curtain in the beginning with your silhouette projected onto it, the pretty suits, the unnecessary guitar, the stolen moves from Mick Jagger in Kiwi?”

Molly heard someone whisper ‘Moves like Jagger’ and a giggle spread through the small audience. Even Harry smiled, so Molly conceded and allowed herself to relax a bit before continuing. “I know you’re worried that Harry, on his own, without 1D or even Daisy, isn’t going to be enough, but you have to have a little faith in him. He’s been doing this for five years, he performed in front of thousands without an issue. You just have to let Harry be Harry, instead of trying to push him into a mold and paint him as a rock star. If you do, you get, this,” Molly held up her notepad containing pages of issues she had with their run-through. “It looks fake, it looks forced, and honestly, I don’t like it.”

Molly sat down and couldn’t look up at Harry. This was so much easier before they started dating; even though nothing had really changed between the two of them, somehow, everything was different now. 

 

The next morning, when things had cooled off a bit, Molly approached Harry with something she’d been meaning to ask him for a while.

“Harry, Harry, Harry, Harrrrry!” Molly smiled her biggest smile at her new boyfriend.

“Yes?” He raised his eyebrows, not used to this kind of attention from her.

“Can we pleasssseeee see Niall next week! I’ve been dying to hear his new album, and he’ll be in London at the O2 theater on the 31st.” Molly smiled and held up her hands as she pretended to beg.

“It’s kind of short notice, don’t you think?” Harry sounded doubtful. “It’s probably sold out.”

“You expect me to believe that you can’t call up your old pal Nialler and say ‘Mate, can I a score a couple tickets to your show for me girl and I?’ and that he’d say no?” Molly teased, mocking Harry with the worst British accent he’d ever heard.

“Wait,” he laughed. “Was that supposed to be me? Is that what you think I sound like?” 

He and Molly both laughed, until she sarcastically responded, “yes Harry, it is.”

“I guess I can try. Why do you want to see him so bad?”

“Really? You know you’re not the only member of 1D I like.” Molly bit her lips and smiled at his reaction.

“What? How many other members of 1D are you dating?” He teased, and she rolled her eyes.

“Come on, you know what I mean. Please? It would mean a lot to me. It can be like, a date,” Molly smiled and bit her lip.

Harry sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’ll see what I can do. You ask for so little, I suppose I can try to get you this one thing. However, we’ll be up in Manchester around then filming my BBC special. I think we’ll be done in time for his show, but I’m not sure.”

“Your what now?” Molly’s jaw dropped. 

“It’s something we’ve had planned for ages, sorry, I guess it never came up,” Harry ran a hand through his hair.

“Is this like Adele’s thing? Because if so….you know you’re not Adele? Sorry, but, I just don’t understand…” Molly was trying hard not to seem rude, but she was just plain confused.

“I don’t know, but there’ll be an interview with Nick Grimshaw-” 

“Oh, I should have known it was either going to be him or James Corden,” Molly interrupted him and sighed.

Harry shrugged. “Well, I’ve already spent a week on Corden, so I guess it’s Nick’s turn.”

Molly snickered, and Harry cocked his head. “Sorry, but your wording, there...it’s just begging for a ‘that’s what she said’ but honestly, it fits just fine the way you said it.”

“Molly Winthrope, you have a dirty mind,” Harry smirked.

“Admit it, that’s why you like me,” she laughed.

“One of many reasons,” he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek - technically their first kiss as a couple. It was short and sweet, and neither of them really noticed it was their ‘first’ official kiss. “There’s nothing we can really do about the BBC special, since it’s out of our hands at this point. But we’ll be up in Manchester and Holmes Chapel, so I can show you around my hometown a bit.” 

Molly grinned and clapped excitedly. “Just like my fanfiction! I can’t wait to see it!!!”

Harry smiled and shook his head. “You’ve got to stop mentioning the fanfiction. Or else, I might just read it someday.”

Molly bit both her lips and her cheeks turned pink. “Please don’t.”

He ruffled her hair as he got up. “We’re leaving to head up north the day after tomorrow, so make sure you have everything you need packed.”

Molly was glowing at the idea of seeing Harry’s hometown. Maybe he’d show her the bakery? She had been dying to see it in person, and had even one day considered taking a pilgrimage up there just to check it out. 

‘That’s not creepy, right?’ She thought, and shook her head. ‘It’s not creepy if he’s your boyfriend’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The complaints Molly listed about his show are things I’ve heard. I personally feel the guitar is hindering his performance, because he seems to do better without it. I’ve seen all of his concerts on youtube so far, and I haven’t seen any juggling yet! (PS shout out to the person who actually made that comment on tumblr! I don’t remember who it was, but credit goes to them)


	22. Chapter 22

Harry was too preoccupied going over his itinerary for the filming of his BBC special as they drove up north to notice how excited Molly was as they got closer to his hometown. She wasn’t joking when she said she’d written fanfiction about this moment, and had dreamed about it when she was in college. 

When they arrived in Holmes Chapel, she was overwhelmed as she looked out the window. ‘This is it...this is where he grew up…’ She thought as she pressed her face to the car window. 

“Molly,” Harry repeated, since she didn’t respond the first time. “You okay?”

“Yes!” She turned back to him with a grin plastered on her face.

“Are you sure? You look like a five-year-old who’s had too much sugar.” Harry started to laugh, and Molly nodded that she was fine. “You really weren’t joking, were you? Tell me, though, are you excited because you get to see where Harry Styles, the most handsome member of One Direction, grew up? Or, is it because you get to see where your boyfriend used to live?”

Molly froze for a moment, still wide eyed with excitement. “Both, since you’re the same person.”

“You know what I mean,” Harry tilted his head and smirked at her expression. He glanced out the window as the car came to a stop. “We’re here.”

“Here? As in, the house you grew up in?” Molly’s head snapped around to look at the house.

“Kinda, no. This is my mum’s house. I mentioned we’d be staying with her, right?” Harry slipped from the car and grabbed their suitcases from the back.

“I can get that,” Molly offered, but he wouldn’t hear it.

“If my mum saw me letting you carry your own suitcase, I’d never hear the end of it.” Harry said quietly and shook his head.

“First of all, I am an independent woman and I can carry my own suitcase. Secondly, I’m more worried about anyone else seeing us together like this.” Molly’s thoughts were interrupted as Gemma ran out to greet them.

“Molly!” She embraced her in a warm hug and the two walked arm in arm back up toward the house. “Oh, hey little brother.” She added.

“Nice to see you too, Gems,” Harry answered sarcastically, and Gemma stuck her tongue out at him.

“How do you put up with him?” She exasperatedly asked Molly.

“I’m only dating him to get to his cool older sister,” Molly quietly joked, and Harry pouted.

“What has gotten into you kids?” Anne laughed as she opened the door to greet them.

“It’s this northern air, I think. It brings back memories,” Gemma joked as she hugged her mom.

Anne gave Harry a hug, before moving on to Molly. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

Molly awkwardly returned the hug, suddenly feeling nervous about seeing Anne. They’d met before at the ‘Dunkirk’ premiere, but things were different now that Molly was dating her son. Anne, however, did not seem any different, and didn’t notice Molly’s nervousness.

“I’ve just put dinner in the oven, and I’ve made up your usual rooms if you’d like to bring your things up.” Anne explained, and Harry started up the stairs with their suitcases, Molly in tow. “We can put Molly in the guest bedroom at the end of the hall.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Harry called back to her.

“What? Is she not staying?” Anne asked, and beside her, Gemma giggled quietly.

“No, she’s staying.” Harry continued up the stairs with Molly right behind him.

“I thought they were just pretending to date,” Anne whispered to Gemma.

“Oh Harry…” Gemma rolled her eyes. “He didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Anne looked worried and looked back up the stairs toward the room Harry and Molly had gone into. “Harry!!” She yelled, and started up the stairs after him.

Still giggling, Gemma shook her head. “Molly, let’s go find something to drink.”

Not wanting to be alone with Harry and his mom, Molly eagerly descended the stairs and joined Gemma.

“Thank you,” Molly whispered to her. They could hear Harry and Anne talking upstairs, and both were glad to not be a part of that. Gemma found something alcoholic for them and started mixing their drinks. “Does she not like me?”

“No, that’s nonsense. Why wouldn’t she like you?” Gemma smiled reassuringly. 

“Judging by her reaction, and whatever they’re discussing now,” Molly gestured back up the stairs where Harry and Anne were talking, but not loud enough for her to make out what they were saying. “It’s not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.”

“She’s just mad because Harry didn’t tell her you guys were dating.” Gemma explained. “Honestly, I’m shocked he didn’t. This is the kind of thing he would have talked to her about. He’s always consulted with her before asking a girl out; they’re pretty close like that. She’s probably just worried that he’s growing up, that she’s losing her little boy, and he’s replacing her, or whatever.”

“What? I can’t replace her, that’s silly, she’s his mother.” Molly seemed baffled. She knew Harry was close with his mom, but this seemed ridiculous. 

“Well, there comes a time in a guy’s life when his mum is no longer the most important woman in his life,” Gemma winked, and it took Molly a second to figure out what she was hinting at. 

“Wait, are you trying to imply….? No, no no no, we’ve been dating for like three days, don’t say that!” Molly leaned in, and quietly added, “And don’t let him hear you, he might get ideas.”

“It certainly feels like more than three days, you know that. He’s definitely cared about you a lot longer than that.”

“Well, for me it’s only been three days, so enough of that.” Molly whispered, and heard Anne and Harry finally coming downstairs.

“Whatever you say…” Gemma added with a teasing smile as her mom and brother entered the room.

Anne smiled and nodded at Molly before continuing to the kitchen to check on dinner. Harry slipped his hand around Molly’s lower back, and he leaned over to kiss her head. “What’re you girls chatting about?”

“Nothing,” Molly said quickly, and looked at Gemma.

“Just girl things,” Gemma smiled and poured Harry a drink.

“Uh oh, I know what that means. you were talking about me, weren’t you.” Harry scrunched up his nose.

“We have better things to talk about than you,” Gemma teased, and Anne appeared from the kitchen.

“We still have about an hour on the roast,” she announced and Gemma poured a drink for her mom.

“How about a quick game of scrabble?” Gemma suggested.

“I love scrabble; what do you say, love?” He turned to Molly.

Molly froze. Harry’d called her ‘love’ before - it was an affectionate term he, and many others, used - but now, it sounded so different coming from his mouth. In reality, it sounded the same, but to Molly that term now carried a different weight. 

 

‘He calls everyone “love” get over it Molly’ she thought, and smiled. “Scrabble sounds amazing.”

Gemma set up the game in the living room and, being writers, Molly thought she and Gemma would have the upper hand. Yet, halfway through the game, Molly found herself struggling to keep up. 

“Hey, so, because I’m American, is it okay if I use American spellings?” She asked, and watched as they pondered her question. “I just don’t have the letter ‘u’.”

Gemma shrugged. “I guess so.”

“What’s your word, honey,” Anne smiled, and Molly bit her lip before laying out her letters.

“Oh, umm….” Harry tilted his head to see the word better. He was expecting the word ‘color’ or favorite’ or really, any actual word. 

“Whats ‘jhlkxz’?” Gemma laughed.

“Oh, you guys don’t use that word over here?” Molly scratched her head and tried to keep from smiling.

A beeping from the kitchen interrupted their laughter. “That must be dinner,” Anne stood up and left the three snickering.

“Saved by the bell, Winthrope.” Gemma teased.

“If that were a real word, you would have cleaned us all out. The ‘x’ was on a triple letter square,” Harry added as he picked up the letters off the board. 

Anne called them into dinner, and as the four sat around the table eating, Harry talked about his upcoming BBC special.

“Ax throwing? Oh, Harry, please be safe,” Anne interrupted.

“Mum, don’t worry. This is 1000 times safer than shooting the ‘Sign of the Times’ video.” He reassured her.

“Don’t remind me of that,” Anne brought her hand up to her forehead.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine, mum,” Harry patted her hand.

“So, what are you doing tomorrow while Harry’s off giving mum a heart attack?” Gemma turned to Molly.

Molly shrugged. “I’m not sure, I was hoping to look around town a bit.”

“I’d love to show you around!” Gemma smiled.

“Okay, as long as we can see it first!” Molly grinned.

“See what?”

“The bakery, of course!” Molly squealed, and Harry rolled his eyes, but laughed.

Gemma nodded. “Okay, we’ll head to the bakery first, maybe pick up some breakfast there.”

The next morning, as promised, Gemma took Molly to the bakery and Molly had her fangirl moment. The two ate breakfast, and then spent the rest of the morning looking at shops and touring the area. They finally stopped for lunch at a cafe, and sat outside because it was a very nice day out.

“I’m glad you got to see it in the sunshine,” Gemma commented.

“Me too, I’m not a fan all the rain you guys have over here,” Molly scrunched up her nose, but smiled as she saw their food was coming. “Thank god, I’m starving.”

After a few minutes, Gemma put down her fork and looked at Molly thoughtfully for a moment. 

“What?” Molly asked as she noticed. “Do I have something in my teeth?” Molly self consciously pressed her lips together.

“No, no it’s not that. I just…” Gemma leaned forward. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Oh?” Molly looked up, but kept eating.

“Harry mentioned that you felt...trapped, in a way, because you can’t really have a job - a real job, that is - while you’re dating him. He knows you’re very independent, and he’s worried that you might feel...suffocated? Or get tired of being stuck with him all the time, and eventually leave him.”

“Oh,” Molly repeated, and this time set down her fork. 

“I know you guys have your weird ‘pretending to date’ arrangement where you help him fix his solo career, and that is practically a full time job. But, I would like to offer you a non-Harry related job, so you don’t get sick of him.”

“What kind of job?”

“I think we should write an advice column together, for girls like us. People write in with their problems, and we take turns answering them. Maybe, once or twice a week, depending on how many questions our readers send in.” Gemma explained.

“So, like one of those ‘Dear whatever’ advice columns.” Molly twirled her fork in her salad as she thought. 

“Exactly. We could call our column ‘Dear Molly and Gemma’ if you’d like. I think that sounds pretty nice, actually.”

“And this would be a syndicate kind of thing?” Molly asked, and Gemma nodded.

“Yeah, mostly for places I’ve already written for. I showed a few of them the interview you did with Daisy, and they really liked it.” Gemma smiled. “I know you probably need to think about it, but let me know-”

“No, I’ll do it.” Molly answered quickly, and Gemma raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Harry’s right: I do want some type of work that does not involve him. Nothing against him, I just know I’ll get tired of him quickly otherwise. I mean, we live together, kind of work together, I go everywhere with him, and now we’re even dating!” Molly laughed. “So yes, I would love to have something to do other than Harry.”

Gemma tilted her head. “Ummm…”

“Yeah, that didn’t come out right,” Molly blushed. “I mean, it’ll be nice to do something that doesn't involve Harry.”

“Okay,” Gemma smiled. “Because considering what you told me last time…”

“I’d forgotten about that, thanks. I really don’t have any intention of talking about my sex life with you.” Molly rested her head in her hands and tried to cover her face in embarrassment.

“Thank you,” Gemma smiled and took a sip of her tea.

“Although, if it’s okay, there’s one thing-”

Gemma held up her hand to stop her.

“No, it’s not bad,” Molly continued. “Nothing graphic, I promise.”

Gemma groaned and shook her head, knowing it was no use resisting and Molly was going to say it anyway.

“It’s just that,” Molly bit her lip. “Things are different now that we’re dating. Before, it was purely physical, lust and what not.”

Gemma leaned forward to rest her head in her hands. “Those are not words I want to hear about my brother.”

“Just pretend he’s not your brother, if that helps,” Molly suggested, and continued. “Now that we’re dating, he’s so much more affectionate, and careful, and touchy-feely-”

“Sex is supposed to be touchy-feely.” Gemma interrupted, and mentally tried to erase this conversation as they were having it.

“But it’s not just in a sexual way, it’s like, hand holding, and hugging, and other little things like that,” Molly continued.

Gemma burst out laughing and finally looked up at Molly. “Those are normal things couples do when they date.

“I know, but-”

“No ‘buts’, this is what dating is. You’ve done that before, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Molly sighed. “It’s just different with him.”

“Good different, or bad different?”

Molly shrugged, and looked back at her salad.

“You’ll figure it out, I’m sure.” Gemma answered. “You can always talk to him about it, you know.”

“Is this what our advice column is going to be like?” Molly laughed.

“Maybe, though hopefully there won’t be any questions about Harry,” Gemma added, and changed the subject. She’d learned too much about her little brother’s sex life this afternoon and wanted to get far away from that topic. She and Molly spent the afternoon looking at some of the places she and Harry had hung out when they were growing up. By the end of the day they were exhausted, but Molly was pleased.

‘It was even better than the fanfiction,’ she thought as she settled into bed with Harry that night.


	23. Chapter 23

Harry awoke feeling nervous; that was not a good way to start the day - especially not this day. Yesterday, he and Nick had been all over Manchester filming for his BBC special, but today they were going to film the rest: the interview and his performance in front of a live audience. He tapped his fingers nervously at breakfast and tried to get his mind off of it.

“What’s wrong, hon?” Anne asked.

“Just a bit nervous, that’s all,” he answered and continued eating. 

“You have nothing to worry about. You know Gemma and I will be in the audience watching, and it’s just Nick, after all.” She reassured him and sat down to eat.

“I know, and we’ve been over the questions together, so I know what to say, but I’m still anxious. This special is meant to reach a new audience, hopefully, so it has to be good. And, it’s my first time playing live since Daisy left, and I know I’m not really alone on that stage, but it sure feels like it sometimes. At least, compared to what I’m used to.” He shrugged, and Anne put her hand on his.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Is Molly going?” She asked.

“Probably, though I don’t think I’ll have her sit with you - so it doesn’t raise suspicion.”

“I guess that’s a good idea,” Anne added and Gemma joined them for breakfast, followed soon after by Molly. Harry didn’t say much else during breakfast, but he was deep in thought. After his mom and sister got up to clear the dishes, he turned to Molly.

“I have a request; I’d like you to do something for me,” he started.

“Okay…” Molly raised her eyebrow.

“I’m going to put you in the audience, maybe you can talk to some fans, get some feedback,” Harry suggested, and bit his lip.

“Oh, like a spy? Okay, that’ll be fun. I wanted to see it anyway, so this is nice.” Molly smiled. “Though, I’ve been seen out and about with Gemma lately, don’t you think people might recognize me?”

Harry thought for a minute. “Maybe, you could wear a hat? Or we could get Lou to do your hair and makeup differently, and my stylist can-”

 

“I’m not letting Harry Lambert pick out my outfit. I don’t want to look like a Gucci puppet, sorry,” Molly cringed. “I’m all for a Gucci purse, or accessory, but not the whole outfit.”

“Actually, I have a new stylist now. I guess I should have mentioned that. I realized you were right, and the outfits were the main talking point of some of my previous shows.”

“I thought you had a contract with Gucci?” Molly asked.

“Well, Lambert had the Gucci contract, at least regarding the suits I was going to wear on tour. Gucci happens to make perfectly normal looking clothes, too, so we’re still working with them.” Harry explained.

Molly nodded as she processed this. “Okay, this is definitely good. I can’t wait to see how your new stylist dresses you! And, um,” she reached up to run a finger through his locks. “You never did get that haircut, did you?”

Harry bit his lips and felt this cheeks redden with embarrassment at the memory of ‘the day he almost got a haircut’ - a day he wasn’t likely to forget. “No, I got distracted that day, I think you know that. Then, I just kept putting it off, and, uh...”

“Is this because I said I liked you with long hair? Because I didn’t mean I liked you better with long hair, I just...really liked that look on you. I like your hair this way, too,” Molly added.

“Well, that was kinda it, but I’m not necessarily growing it out just for you - unless you’d find that romantic, in which case, of course I am!” Harry grinned, and Molly laughed at him.

“Shut up, we both know you need to put whatever benefits your career before your girlfriend’s sexual desires.”

“S-sexual?” Harry’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t realize you liked it quite that much. If you want, I can put on a wig sometime when we’re-”

“Shut up, no,” Molly laughed, and shook her head. “Don’t worry about that. Not today, at least; you have bigger things on your plate.”

“Yes, and speaking of which,” he checked his phone. “I have to go. I’ll see you there, in the audience.” He leaned over to kiss her goodbye before leaving to meet his ride waiting outside. He tried to clear his head on the ride there, but Jeff had some things to go over with him in the car, and when he arrived he was needed on stage for sound check with his band.

After rehearsal, he was rushed into a makeup chair, where he chatted with Lou about giving Molly a makeover, before he headed off to wardrobe. His new stylist, Rupert, was a younger, laidback kind of guy, who looked like he had never heard a One Direction song in his life. Rupe put Harry in his signature black skinny jeans and his favorite Chelsea boots, and matched it with a Gucci v-neck graphic tee and a simple black blazer with the sleeves rolled up a bit. He paired this outfit with a necklace, which had a string made out of a leather-like material and decorated with a small feather, and a few topaz beads that looked Native American. 

Harry viewed himself in front of the mirror, turning to see the whole outfit. “Okay, I like this. I see you’re going for a bit of the hipster look, with a dash of the modern rock star. That’s kind of what I was originally going for.” Harry smiled at Rupe and his stylist looked relieved. 

“Pleased to hear that. I listened to your album a few times without having seen you perform it, and this was the image I had in my head. I looked into your style in the last few years of One Direction, and I decided to draw from that a bit too.” Rupert explained.

“Looks very nice.” He patted Rupe on the back. “Do you think you could help me out a bit, and pick out an outfit for my girlfriend? I’m going to dress her up as a fan and stick her in the audience so she can watch.”

“Oh,” Rupe seemed surprised. “That’s very sweet of you to do that for her. I’m not sure I’m prepared for that, though.”

“It’s fine, she can probably tell you what a ‘typical fan’ would wear anyway - considering she is one,” Harry added with a smirk. “Thanks!” He called back to him before being ushered toward the stage for one last run through of the show.

‘He’s dating a fan??’ Rupert pondered in bewilderment, but was interrupted by the aforementioned ‘fan’.

“Hi! You must be Harry’s new stylist! I’m Molly, his girlfriend,” she added quietly, and introduced herself.

“Rupert, but please, call me Rupe,” he shook her hand. “I don’t really know what Harry expects me to do, since I only brought clothes for him…”

“Not an issue. I’ve come prepared,” Molly dumped the clothes she’d brought with her in a pile. “We can pick an outfit together!”

Half an hour later, they had dressed her up as the stereotypical 1D/Harry Styles fan, and Molly was ready to get her hair and makeup done.

Luckily Harry had given Lou a bit more time to prepare, and she had some accessories for Molly, including some floral hair pins, and some fake hipster-looking glasses. Lou did Molly’s eyes a little differently than Molly normally would to make their shape look a little different, and opted for a softer pink shade of lipstick instead of Molly’s usual red.

“Wow, meet sixteen-year-old Molly Winthrope, going to her first 1D concert with her mom,” Molly joked as she looked at herself in the mirror. “It’s perfect, thanks Lou!” She hugged Harry’s hair stylist, before leaving to wait in line like the rest of the audience. 

The energy from the waiting fans was contagious, and soon Molly was just as excited as the rest of them to see Harry. Of course, she’d seen him a couple hours ago, so it was different, but her inner fan was coming out and she couldn’t help but fangirl with a few people waiting with her in line.

“I wonder what his suit will look like this time!” One girl said, and Molly’s smile faltered.

“I don’t know, I can’t wait to see,” Molly replied. She really didn’t know, but if this new stylist was different from the last one, he probably wasn’t wearing a floral/sparkly suit. “I don’t care, I’m excited to see him no matter what he’s wearing.”

“Oh my god, me too! I think I’m going to pass out!” The girl fanned herself.

They were shown to their seats soon after, and Molly had a new group of fans to chat with while they waited. After the initial ‘omg I can’t wait to see him!’ the other girls settled down a bit and Molly decided to get to work.

“I’m kind of disappointed Daisy won’t be touring with him,” she commented, and watched their reactions. 

“Same, I loved her! She was like a mini Taylor! Maybe that’s why Harry liked her so much,” the fan added with a smirk. 

“I don’t know; it looked like she was just using him,” another fan added.

“I think they sounded very nice together,” Molly steered the conversation back in a positive direction. 

“Oh, sure she definitely has a nice voice, but I think she just wanted his dick,” the same fan added.

Molly blushed a little. “Well, maybe you missed the interview where she said she was gay, so I doubt that.”

The fan scoffed. “She just said that so people would leave her alone.”

“Okay, well, um,” Molly swallowed hard and wondered when the program would start. “I’m excited to see him on tour, are any of you guys going?”

That trick worked, and they chatted about which shows they were going to until it was time to start filming. When Harry appeared on stage, even Molly was surprised to see what he was wearing, but at least it was a good kind of surprised. 

“That’s different,” the girl next to her whispered, and Molly agreed. “But I like it.”

Once they started filming, they had to be quiet, but Molly could tell there was a buzzing energy in the room. Harry sang ‘Sweet Creature’ first, and then Nick Grimshaw came out and they walked to the other end of the stage for the interview. Molly was not as close to this part of the stage, so she couldn’t see him as well. They had seated her in the middle of a group, so she wouldn’t stand out. As far as she could tell, Harry had not noticed her yet, but she supposed that meant Lou and Rupe had done their job of making her blend in.

‘He’s nervous,’ Molly thought, and wished she could give him a hug, and tried to send positive vibes his way. As he returned to the other end of the stage to play ‘Two Ghosts’ she hoped to catch his eye, but didn’t dare wave to him, or anything else to draw attention. He seemed pretty focussed, so she didn’t blame him for not looking for her in the audience. 

By the end of filming, he seemed to relax a little and engaged with the audience a bit more, but he had yet to notice Molly. She didn’t necessarily care, but it would have been nice to to catch his eye at least once. When Nick announced the next song was a cover, Molly was surprised. She didn’t know he would be covering another song besides ‘The Chain’, and was shocked.

As he started playing the first chords, Harry looked out into the audience, and finally made eye contact with the girl with flower clips in her hair and fake hipster glasses, and she smiled back. He had been nervous about playing this song for the first time, and her smile was exactly what he needed to get over those nerves.

Molly blinked a few times and couldn’t believe how much this song was affecting her. It felt like he was singing it directly at her, and Molly couldn’t help but wonder if the ‘Girl Crush’ he was singing about was maybe how she’d felt about Daisy. The line about wanting her ‘long blond hair’ particularly stood out, even though Daisy was strawberry-blond. Molly knew Harry and Daisy had never actually kissed or slept together outside of her own jealous mind, but this song conveyed exactly how she’d felt during those few weeks Daisy and Harry were together.

As the song concluded, Harry looked back over toward Molly and discreetly winked at her, which confirmed her suspicion that he had chosen that song for her. So far their relationship seemed to involve a lot of Harry singing to Molly to say things he couldn’t quite put into words (even if they weren’t his own songs). 

Harry concluded the show with ‘Sign of the Times’ and did not ascend into the rafters above the stage as Molly had suggested. It’s probably safer that way. Harry left the stage in a very normal way, and Molly left with the audience, not sure how she was supposed to get backstage to see Harry, so she climbed in the car waiting for her, and it took her home. Harry said he’d be home in about an hour, so she chatted with Gemma and Anne about the special while she waited. Neither of them had known about his cover of ‘Girl Crush’ either, so she made a mental note to ask him about it later.

“There’s my number one fan!” Harry announced when he got home and engulfed Molly in a hug. He seemed to be in a good mood; perhaps now that the stress of filming the special had been lifted, he could finally relax. “This outfit is really something,” he looked over Molly.

“Rupe has good taste, I like him!” Molly smiled. “Yet, I can’t wait to get out of these skinny jeans. And I think Lou put a gallon of hairspray in my hair, so I’m going to wash it out.” Molly left to take a shower, and was more than happy to wear her comfy pajamas and climb into bed with Harry afterwards.

“So,” he started, once she was settled in next to him. “What’d you think?”

Molly gave a recap of her thoughts of the special, as well as her conversations with some of his fans. “There is one thing I had a question on,” Molly turned to look at him, and Harry raised his eyebrow. “‘Girl Crush’ by Little Big Town? Since when did you get so good at singing country?”

Harry smiled and bit his lip. “So you liked that?”

Molly nodded. “I’m not sure why, but it felt like you were singing it to me, specifically.”

“That’s because I was.” Their eyes met and conveyed some unspoken communication.

“How did you know I felt like that?” Molly asked quietly. “I didn’t even realize it myself, was it that obvious?”

“I guess I realized it was a bit like how I’d felt when you slept with Tom. Except, Daisy and I were right in front of you, so I can only imagine how that felt. I know we weren’t dating at the time, but you still had plenty of reasons to be jealous.” Harry paused. “And, I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Molly smiled. “You did nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, but the intention was there. I can’t guarantee what would have happened if she had been single, and not a lesbian, of course,” Harry added, and Molly decided not to correct him and say Daisy was bisexual.

“We don’t need to worry about that now, right? Since we’re dating, for real, now.” Molly tried to sound reassuring, and Harry nodded. “So, how much longer are we going to stay here? I like it, of course, and I love seeing your mom, but…”

“But, what?”

“There are just things you can’t do when visiting your boyfriend’s mom, you know,” Molly raised her eyebrows, and could tell he got the hint when his cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat before answering. 

“Well, um, we’re going back to London tomorrow morning because I’m appearing on the ‘Jonathan Ross Show’ this weekend. And, because I have a surprise for you tomorrow night.” Harry grinned a cheeky smile, and Molly’s eyes shot open.

“Are we going to see Niall!!!!” She clapped her hands excitedly.

“Okay, so it’s not a surprise any more…”

“That’s okay, I’m still excited. Thank you!” She gave him a kiss goodnight, and they soon fell asleep, both exhausted after a long day.

 

A/N: I don’t know if you can tell, but I know nothing of men’s fashion (or women’s fashion) so just use your imagination :p If you have suggestions, or know of any resources I can check out, please let me know! I’m trying to describe a sort of ‘evolved’ 2015 Harry, if that makes sense. 

Also, I don’t know why I picked the name Rupert. It just sounded very British. Yet, now all I can picture is Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) (and that’s not at all how I pictured my Rupert!)

Did anyone see his BBC special? I thought it was okay, but it was exactly what I was expecting. I found a review that kind of explains what I’m feeling about his special: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/harry-styles-suit-most-lively-11458034

Harry’s cover of girl crush at the BBC special (I listened to it about 10 times while writing this chapter, I love i!):   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=244&v=rroc2y9if_Q


	24. Chapter 24

Molly turned in front of the mirror to admire her outfit before skipping into Harry’s room to show it off. “Does this look okay?” She asked and twirled around.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s just Niall - we don’t need to be too fancy.” Harry shrugged and pulled on a shirt.

“‘Just Niall’? Just Niall?” Molly’s jaw dropped. “Okay, maybe for you, he’s just your mate, but I’m excited to hear his new music!”

Harry smirked and cocked his head to the side. “Tell me, were you this excited to hear my new album?”

“Of course! I stayed up until midnight to buy it as soon as it came out!” Molly grinned. “I mean, I knew I was getting a copy with the ticket I bought, but I wanted to hear it right away.”

“Wait, you bought a ticket to come see me?” Harry started to laugh and shook his head.

“Yeah…” Molly blushed. “My friends and I all wanted to see you again. And Niall, and the rest of the guys, too.” Molly added.

“Which show is it? Are you still going to go?” Harry looked like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or be embarrassed. 

“New York, and, yeah, probably. It’ll be fun to see my friends.” Molly smiled, but noticed Harry’s expression didn’t change. “That won’t bother you, will it? Having me in the audience?” 

“No, I suppose it shouldn’t make a difference, since you would have probably been there anyway, like backstage or something.” He thought about it for a moment. 

“We should get going,” Molly checked the time, and Harry agreed. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about Molly and her friends coming to his show, but he tried to put that out of his head and enjoy Niall’s concert.

When they arrived, they took the back entrance and waited back stage until the house lights went down so they could be seated in the VIP area without being seen. Harry knew it was probably just precautionary, but he’d hate to distract from Niall at all.

While they were waiting backstage, Molly heard that unmistakable Irish accent behind them, and she froze.

“Hey Harry, glad you could make it, mate,” he said and Harry spun around to greet him. “It’s good to see you.”

Molly turned, making sure her facial expression was normal, and tried not to fangirl too much. There, in front of her, was Niall Horan, former blond member of One Direction. Molly’s inner 16-year-old was freaking out, but she tried to remain calm, or at least maintain some semblance of being normal. 

“It’s nice to see you too. This is my girlfriend, Molly,” Harry introduced her, and put his arm around her back. 

“Hi,” Molly held out her hand to shake, but Niall drew her into a hug. Molly bit her lip to keep from squealing, but getting a hug from actual ray of sunshine Niall was too much for her.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited to see you it’s been over three years since my last 1D concert and this is just so much!” She said quickly as she came out of the hug, and stopped to take a breath. “And I’m very happy to meet you,” she added once she was a bit more collected.

“So she’s a fan?” Niall’s wide eyes exchanged a glance with Harry before he burst out laughing. “Harry, you are the last person I’d expected to date a fan. Of the five of us, I thought for sure it’d be me, or maybe Liam, but never in a million years did I expect to see Harry Styles dating a One Direction fan. You must be very special, Molly,” he said with a smile, and she felt another fangirl attack coming on.

“She’s certainly something,” Harry answered, and decided perhaps Molly was exactly what he needed in his audience. Someone came to get Niall, and he said goodbye to Harry and Molly.

“I hope you like the show; can’t wait to see you on tour Harry!” Niall called and they waved. Molly, Harry, and the few friends they’d brought with them (so it wouldn’t look like a date if they were spotted) were escorted to their seats.

“Sorry if I embarrassed you back there, I don’t know what came over me.” Molly whispered to Harry.

“How come I didn’t get a greeting like that when we first met?” Harry joked, though he did feel a little jealous.

“Ha!” Molly snorted. “You should have seen me 10 minutes before I arrived for that interview. I was running late anyway from a meeting, but I had to stop and pinch myself to make sure it was happening. My uber driver probably thought I was crazy because I was shaking and kept making this high-pitched squealing sound.”

Harry snickered and turned to look at her. “I would have loved to have seen that.”

“That would have been awkward for me, not to mention unprofessional,” Molly commented, and the lights went completely out. “I think it’s starting!” She whispered excitedly to Harry.

Neither of them were sure what to expect, beyond having heard ‘Slow Hands’ and ‘This Town’, and the few songs Niall had shown Harry over the years. They were both pleasantly surprised, and Molly calmed down a little after a few songs. Everything was going smoothly, until he came to the first song in the encore near the end.

“The next song is new to my setlist, and I’m sure some of you have heard this before. I have a special friend in the audience here tonight that I’m hoping will come up and sing it with me; ladies and gents, this is ‘Fool’s Gold’!” The audience erupted in cheers, and Niall looked up near where they were sitting.

“Harry, he’s clearly talking about you,” Molly whispered. “Unless Louis or Liam are here too…”

Harry shook his head. “Nah, I’m not even warmed up, I haven’t rehearsed it with him-”

“I think he needs some encouragement,” Niall said to the audience. “Can I get some applause for Mr. Harry Styles?” The audience shrieked and began chanting his name.

“You’ve got to do it now,” Molly grinned and nudged him, but Harry shook his head. “Come on, at least do it for the fans, if not for me. It is my favorite song on ‘Four’.”

“Is it, well,” Harry cleared his throat and grabbed a drink of water, as the crowd continued chanting ‘Harry’. 

“Harry, come on down here,” Niall said. “It’ll be like old times…” Niall smiled, and Harry couldn’t resist those blue eyes.

“You owe me,” he glanced at Molly as he got up, and shook his head with a grin.

Molly was giddy with excitement when Harry finally made it to the stage and was handed a microphone.

“Is this thing on?” He said into the mic, and the audience cheered. Niall gave Harry some instructions, and they decided Harry would sing his normal part in the song, and Niall would do the rest.

It was very odd seeing just Niall and Harry singing this song, accompanied by just Niall’s guitar. It was like a mini 1D reunion, and Molly nearly cried a few times. She felt a little guilty about it, but Molly was surprised how good Harry sounded, considering he said he hadn’t warmed up or practiced. He and Niall sounded very good together, and when the song ended the audience again cheered loudly. Harry waved, and thanked Niall before leaving the stage and making his way back up to Molly.

“That was beautiful,” Molly whispered to him when he sat down, but didn’t get a chance to say a anything else before the next song started.

As the show ended, Harry and Molly were escorted out the back entrance before too many fans left. Molly talked about her favorite songs on their way home, and said she couldn’t wait for Niall’s album to come out so she could hear them again. Harry was a bit quiet, so she turned to him and watched his face as he stared out the window.

“Would you have wanted to come see me if you hadn’t heard the album first?” Harry asked Molly after a moment. 

“Yeah, probably. I know my friends and I wanted to see you, regardless of what you’re doing. I mean, I think most people who bought tickets just want to see you, and don’t necessarily care about the music as much. But you’re album’s okay, so don’t worry about it.” Molly reassured him.

“It’s okay? That’s good,” Harry sounded a bit sarcastic. “What about Niall’s album, is it okay too?”

“Yes, Harry, but it’s not a competition.” Molly decided to change the subject. “That was nice of you to sing ‘Fool’s Gold’ with him; you sounded pretty good.”

“Thanks, I wish I could have warmed up a bit more, but I guess it turned out okay.”

“Are you going to play any One Direction songs on tour?” Molly asked, and Harry’s lips curled into a tiny smile. 

“Actually, I was going to do ‘Fool’s Gold’.” He admitted and laughed. “We even rehearsed it a couple times, but I guess I won’t do that one now.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. Do you have another song in mind?” Molly asked, and realized maybe that was why Harry sounded better than she thought he would.

Harry shrugged. “I did ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ a while ago, so I might do it again.”

“What about ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’? Or you can do ‘Hey Angel’ to go with ‘Only Angel’! Either way, you can get Niall back by asking him to one of your shows, and making him come up on stage with you,” Molly laughed.

“I will definitely have to do that,” Harry smiled. “And, speaking of getting back at him, I believe you owe me.”

“Yes, I do, and don’t worry - I have something in mind.” Molly smiled cheekily.

“Oh really?” Harry’s eyebrow slid up. “Well we’re almost home.”

“Maybe we can get started now,” Molly leaned over to kiss him. She was glad they had a driver that night, and that the partition was up for some privacy, because by the time they got to his house they certainly needed it. Molly stopped in the entryway by the table Harry usually left his keys on, and she cleared it off a bit before hopping up on it. Harry did not question this act, and continued what they’d started in the car.

"Hey I think you're forgetting something..." Molly stopped Harry as he was about to slide into her. He looked up at her in the dim light and questioningly raised an eyebrow.

"Condom?" Molly reminded him, and Harry pouted, but Molly wouldn't give in. "We haven't been dating long enough for that, so: yes, condom."

Harry smiled slyly and reached over to a decorative wooden box on the table and pulled out a condom.

"You keep a box of condoms on the table in your entryway, which happens to be at just the perfect height?" Molly bit her lip. "Harry, you are naughtier than I thought."

"For occasions just like this," he answered in a raspier tone than usual, and Molly pulled him back toward her.

Harry glanced up with a smirk, eyes dark with lust, as he rolled the condom onto himself.

"You know," Molly interrupted Harry as he was yet again about to start. "This is like our first time. As a couple, I mean."

"Oh, uh," Harry leaned back a bit. "Did you want to do something special? Like, light some candles, or at least go upstairs?"

"No, I'm too impatient. I've been waiting for this for days and I'm not leaving this spot until you have me screaming your name."

Harry did not need any more instruction than that, and did just as he was told.

 

 

* * *

 

Several days later, Harry came home from rehearsal and heard the unmistakable sound of Molly singing her favorite song off his album while in the bath. He smiled to himself as he kicked off his shoes and started to unbutton his shirt.

‘I’ve got to get that girl to take some vocal lessons,’ he thought with a cheeky grin and headed upstairs toward her bathroom, quickly stripping the rest of his clothes. He opened the door to her room and stood in the doorway to the bathroom to watch her for a moment. When she still didn’t see him, he decided to join in.

“Turns out she’s a devil in between the sheets, and there’s nothing she can do about it,” Harry sang, perhaps a bit more dramatically than necessary, and Molly nearly jumped out of the bath.

“Harry! You scared me. And, you’re naked!” Molly looked away. “Why am I averting my eyes? You’re my boyfriend. What are you doing?”

Still giggling, Harry came up to the side of the tub. “I thought I’d finally join you in the bath.”

“Oh,” Molly sat up to make room. “Hop in.”

“Move forward a bit, I want to sit behind you,” he suggested, and Molly scooted toward the middle of the tub. Harry slowly got in the bath and nestled behind her so they could cuddle. “You can come closer, I can’t quite reach my arms around you.”

“Okay,” Molly carefully moved backward until she ran into him, and he engulfed her in his arms. 

“You feel very tense, are you stressed?” Harry asked and ran his hand along her shoulders.

“No, not really,” Molly tried to relax. “I guess I’m a little anxious about your upcoming tour, but, that’s probably nothing compared to what you’re feeling.”

“I am very excited to get back out there, but you’re right, I’m nervous, too.” Harry admitted. “This is really when we’re going to be able to see if all the changes we’ve made to my image have paid off.”

“I guess it’s like your first day on the job, and you want to make a good impression,” Molly suggested.

“That’s exactly it,” Harry nodded.

“Except, this isn’t any normal job,” Molly tried to turn so she could see him a little better.

“I really wish we were normal sometimes, so we could go out do things like regular people,” Harry sighed and wrapped his arm around Molly’s shoulders again

“Speak for yourself, bro, I’m normal as fuck,” Molly laughed, but Harry’s stare seemed distant, and she guessed he was not in a joking mood. “What ‘normal’ things did you have in mind?”

“Things will be a bit hectic on tour, and I’m not sure how much time we’ll have to spend together - to do stuff like this - so really wanted to do something nice for you before the tour starts. But, I can’t even take you out for dinner without everyone seeing us, and risking exposing you,” Harry sighed.

“That’s fine, Harry; I’d rather eat take-out hidden at home for the rest of my life than have the public know I’m your girlfriend.” Molly explained, but quickly amended, “not that I’m embarrassed to be your girlfriend. I just don’t want to face everything that comes with that.”

“You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better,” Harry shook his head.

“I’m not, I mean it! I know what happens to girls you’re seen with, and I don’t want that kind of attention.” Molly thought for a moment. “You know, in many fanfics I’ve read, you’ll just buy out a whole restaurant for the night to take your girl out so you two can have some privacy.”

“Really,” Harry grinned. “That’s...romantic, but I’m not sure we have enough time to plan all of that, and it might be a bit much.”

Molly shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”

“That does give me an idea, though,” Harry slowly raised his eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“I’m not telling, not after you ruined the surprise Niall concert,” Harry smirked.

“That wasn’t a surprise, I’d asked you about it days before,” Molly reminded him.

“Whatever. Maybe go visit Gemma for the day, and don’t come back until 8 tonight. And, can you wear that dress you wore to the ‘Dunkirk ‘premiere?” Harry added with a sly grin.

Molly’s eyebrow shot up. “This is going to be exciting.”

“Hopefully,” Harry shrugged.

As requested, Molly left to visit Gemma and the two spent the evening doing her hair and makeup for whatever it was Harry had planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Niall has had ‘Fool’s Gold’ on his setlist longer than this, but I thought it would be cute if he introduced it at this show. I got the idea from Niall’s LA show where he asked Louis up on stage for Fool’s Gold : )


	25. Chapter 25

“So, what exactly is Harry doing?” Gemma asked as she put the finishing touches on Molly’s makeup.

“I’m not sure, and the suspense is killing me!” Molly took a deep breath. “He said he wanted to do something nice for me before his tour starts, and said he wished we could do normal things like going out to dinner. Then he asked me to leave, and not return until 8 tonight.” Molly gave her a questioning smile, and Gemma raised her eyebrows.

“Sounds like he’s up to something,” she said, and turned Molly so she could see herself in the mirror.

“This looks beautiful,” Molly touched her hair and blinked a few times to check out her lids. “And I hope he’s up to something, and he didn’t just want to get rid of me for the evening.”

They both laughed, and Gemma jumped when she saw the time. “Christ, it’s almost 8, we’ve got to get you back home.”

“Worried Cinderella will turn back into a pumpkin?” Molly teased and spun in front of the mirror to admire the way this dress fit her.

“Technically Cinderella was never a pumpkin to begin with. But, no, I just know how anxious Harry gets and I don’t want to leave him waiting.” Gemma explained, and ushered Molly away from the mirror and towards her car. As they drove to Harry’s, Gemma recounted all the cute things she remembered Harry doing for a girl when he was younger, and wondered what he could be up to now.

When they arrived, Molly thanked Gemma for helping her get ready, and promised to fill her in on whatever it was. Molly was met at the door by what appeared to be a waitress, dressed impeccably for the part.

“Miss Winthrope, let me show you to your table,” she said, and Molly followed her. The house had some extra candles, which was a nice touch, but the dining room was lit only by candlelight. The dining room table was covered with an elegant white tablecloth, and Harry was seated at the head of the table, fighting back a grin.

“You look beautiful,” he smiled at Molly as she was seated on his left at the table. 

“You look quite stunning yourself,” she smiled back at him and looked over the black suit he was wearing. “Did you wear this to the ‘Dunkirk’ premiere?”

“I did,” Harry smiled to himself before continuing. “It was at that premiere, when I saw you in this dress, that I knew it would be difficult to continue pretending you were my girlfriend.”

“Oh?” Molly wasn’t quite sure what he meant by this.

“It was like that line in ‘Two Ghosts’, ‘I can’t touch what I see’, you were almost like the forbidden fruit.” Harry explained.

“Using your own lyrics in conversation? I thought that was my job,” Molly smirked. “And, I kind of had a feeling that was the case, considering how jealous you seemed of Tom the next day.”

“Was it that obvious?” Harry laughed and blushed a bit.

“It was,” Molly nodded, and decided this was a good time to change the subject. “This is quite formal.” The table was set with some of the nicest china Molly had seen and polished silver. 

“I told you I wanted to do something special for you,” Harry smiled again. “We couldn’t go out to a restaurant to eat, so I brought the restaurant here.”

A waitress brought a bottle of wine for them and filled both of their glasses, and a moment later returned with their food. “Norwegian salmon, with roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash risotto,” she explained, before leaving the two on their own again.

“You like brussels sprouts, right?” Harry nervously asked Molly.

“I didn’t, until you introduced them to me,” she smiled, and took a bite. “Absolutely delicious, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Harry smiled again; he seemed unable to stop smiling tonight. “Though I think you have our wonderful chef to thank for that.”

“How exactly did you arrange all of this on short notice?” Molly asked as their plates were cleared away.

Harry shrugged and gave her a sly smile. “I made a few calls.”

Dessert was brought out on a small covered try, and Molly giggled when the waitress removed the cover to reveal cupcakes, with pink and green frosting. “Harry, you are so sentimental,” she laughed. 

“It seemed fitting, and I know how much you like cupcakes,” he answered.

“I got you something,” Harry reached for a bag under his chair and slid it over to Molly as she finished up her cupcake.

“You didn’t have to,” she protested, but he insisted.

“It’s not much, I just wanted you to have it.”

“Okay…” Molly’s curiosity was piqued, and she opened the small gift bag. “Is there actually something in here, or is it just tissue paper?” She laughed as she pawed through the paper.

“It’s in there, it might be at the bottom.” Harry bit his lip and watched, wondering if he had forgotten to put the gift in the bag.

“I think I found it.” Molly pulled a bundle of tissue paper out and unwrapped it slowly. Out from the tissue paper popped a ring, identical - except in size - to the rose ring Harry wears on his right ring finger. “Oh!” Molly looked up at him with wide eyes. Her head spun with all the possibilities Harry might have for giving her a ring (well, mainly one possibility) and she didn’t know what to say. “Harry that’s-”

“Just a ring,” he reassured her and tried to smile calmly. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression, so I took it out of the black jewelry box it came in and stuck it in a gift bag.”

“Sorry, I guess I’ve read too much fan-fiction, I don’t know what I was thinking,” she laughed and nervously shook her head.

“Let’s see if it fits.” Harry picked up the ring, and with the other hand held Molly’s right hand, and slid the ring onto her ring finger. “There, now we match.” He smiled.

Molly held up her hand to admire it. “Thank you, I’ve always liked that ring.”

“I know, that’s why I got you one of your own. Now, I’ll always be with you, even when we’re apart.”

“That’s so cute, and mushy, and very sweet of you,” she smiled, and surprised herself by feeling a few tears forming in her eyes, which she quickly blinked away so they wouldn’t ruin Gemma’s excellent make-up job. “I wish I’d known you were getting me a gift, so I could get you something in return.”

Harry smiled and shook his head. “It’s not necessary. You’ve already given me so much. You helped me turn my image around, and maybe saved my career.”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say I saved it, since I don’t think it was a failure by any means,” Molly corrected.

“Don’t be modest, yes you did; I’m the one who fucked it up in the first place,” Harry responded with a wry smile.

“Don’t be ‘Modest!’? Uh oh, you’ve caught me,” Molly joked and returned Harry’s smile. “But really, I think we both know you’re not entirely at fault here, since you’re not necessarily making the final decisions on every aspect of your career. That’s what you have a team of people for - to make the decisions you don’t really have time for, or for things you don’t know as much about. You’ve made some changes to that team, and we’re seeming positive results.”

“I’m not sure I would have made those changes had it not been for you, though,” Harry rebutted.

“We can’t know that for sure,” Molly shrugged, “but I know you’re capable of fixing stuff without me. Like your stylist for example - you found Rupert all on your own, right?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, but I’m not sure I would have gone through with it without you by my side.”

Molly shook her head. “That’s sweet of you to say, but this ‘new’ confidence of yours has always been right here:” She reached across the table and vaguely tapped his chest approximately where his heart was located. 

“I guess, though I do have an important question for you.” Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second.

“Usually you ask the important question before giving the girl the ring,” Molly joked and nervously laughed.

“It’s work related, actually,” he half smiled before returning to a more serious countenance. “Should I fire Jeff.” Harry leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, with his hands together almost as if he were praying. 

It wasn’t even a question, and that made Molly think Harry had already made up his mind. She thought for a minute, wondering if he just wanted to see if she agreed with him, or if he wanted her to talk him out of this. Finally, she sighed and shook her head. “No. I think that would be worse for you right now. He’s made some mistakes, but so have you and many other members of your team. If you took some time off to rebrand and reinvent yourself, that would be the time to find a new manager. I know you two are close, but like you, he’s still figuring things out. He’s been open to suggestions for changes and I think he has seen where things went wrong.”

Harry raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly, but otherwise didn’t move. “So, give him a second chance.”

“Give him a chance. Let him turn this around, let him fix your image, let him make you into the superstar we all know you can be.” Molly paused, and with that Harry finally looked up. “Yes, I believe in you, and I know you can be a proper star, but it’s going to take work. No more buying positive reviews, no more PR stunts, no more relying on your dwindling fans to keep your name afloat. You’re going to have to do promo: lots of interviews (and not just with James Corden and Nick Grimshaw). You need to work on your voice so you don’t burn out after a few weeks of tour, and please practice your guitar more! I know you can play, but I think if you were a little more confident, it would come across as more natural on stage. And most importantly, you need to dig a little deeper for your next album - no more playing it safe. You’re young, it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.”

Harry was deep in thought, and for a moment Molly thought she might have offended him, and bit her lips anxiously as she awaited his reply. “Sounds like you should be my next manager,” he halfheartedly joked and gave her a smile.

“God no, I don’t want to be responsible for all of that!” She laughed. “It’s one thing to have suggestions, but I wouldn’t know the first thing about implementing them.”

“You’ll just be my behind-the-scenes manager, my manager/girlfriend.” Harry suggested.

“Manager/girlfriend, I like the sound of that.” Molly smiled.


	26. Chapter 26

Harry had just under a week before his tour started, and he should have been resting and practicing, but he was determined to complete one last task that had been bothering him lately. He and Molly were heading to LA soon to start acclimating to the time change, but he had one more surprise for her.

As the plane started to land after their trip across the Atlantic, Harry leaned closer to talk to Molly over the sound of the engines. “So, we’re not just staying in New York for the night.”

“We’re not?” Molly turned back to him.

“No, we’ll be here for a couple days; there’s something I have to do before we head to LA.”

“What’s that?” Molly asked.

Harry smirked. “We’re going to visit your mum.”

Molly’s eyes got huge and she looked like she was going to be sick. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Why? I said I’d help you find her a place to stay, and get her a job, since you said you’re parents are getting a divorce.” Harry said softly. “So, I think I have to meet her in order to do that.”

“You could just stay at the hotel, and I could do all of that, without her having to see you.” Molly said quickly and took a shaky breath.

“Are you embarrassed?” Harry asked, though he thought Molly looked more terrified than embarrassed.

“Not about you, no….” Now Molly’s cheeks started to pinken, a sure sign she was embarrassed.

“Right...you’re mum is a 1D fan...” Harry laughed to himself and shook his head, hoping it wasn’t as bad as Molly had described. “Have you told her yet?”

“She knows I have a boyfriend, I just didn’t want to give her a heart attack by telling her it was you.” Molly gave him an apologetic smile. “She has enough going on right now, I don’t need to add to that.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think of it that way,” Harry shrugged.

“It’s okay, I really appreciate your willingness to help. I’m sure once she gets over it she’ll be okay.” Molly was not sure. Not at all.

When they arrived at their hotel, she called her mom to let her know she would be spending the next few days with her. They made plans to meet tomorrow morning for breakfast, and Molly decided it was best not to bring Harry. Not yet at least.

While Molly met with her mom, Harry spoke with Jeff about finding a job for her. He figured Jeff must know someone, and could set her up as a secretary or something entry level that paid decently enough. Yet, he had no idea what skills or education Deborah had, and that’s apparently important in finding a job. He was supposed to meet her and Molly for lunch, and had hoped to bring news of a job for her, but it seemed like he was going to show up empty handed.

After talking all morning - well, mostly listening on Molly’s part - Molly and her mom were in much need of a drink with lunch, something Deborah suggested, and Molly definitely wasn’t going to turn it down. If she was going to have to tell her mom she was dating Harry Styles of One Direction, she would prefer to be a bit under the influence. Molly noticed that certain parts of her mom’s personality seemed to have been amplified now that she was not living with her dad any more, and they weren’t necessarily the good traits.

“He carded me!” Deb whispered loudly to her daughter as the bartender left to get their drinks. “I haven’t been carded in years.”

“I think that top certainly makes you look younger,” Molly nodded at the low cut shirt her mom was wearing. 

“You think?” Deb adjusted it so it was even lower. “I feel younger, you know? I think it’s all the sex. Your father and I hardly ever slept together, so these past few weeks have been very liberating for me.”

“Thanks, mom, I needed to know that,” Molly replied sarcastically and rested her head on her hand.

“What? You’ll understand when you get to my age. Women reach peak sexuality in their 40s.” Deborah smiled at her daughter’s clear discomfort in this subject. “Speaking of which, how are things with you and your new boyfriend?”

“Fantastic,” Molly was so glad to change the subject, and gushed about Harry for a few moments. 

“I like this flower-like ring, is it new?” Her mom asked when Molly paused.

“Yeah, he gave it to me a few days ago, actually.” Molly smiled and recounted their dinner.

“Really? So things are getting serious?” Deb asked and held Molly’s hand closer so she could see the ring clearer without putting on her glasses. 

“I don’t know, I mean it’s not that kind of ring,” Molly blushed. “He just wanted me to have it, I guess, because it matches his.”

“It’s not like you to blush when talking about boys; when do I get to meet this mystery man who’s stolen my daughter’s heart?” Her mom smiled and raised her eyebrow.

“Actually, today, possibly,” Molly checked her phone to see if Harry had hopefully cancelled.

“Really? He’s here in New York? I thought you said he lived in London?” Deborah’s eyes lit up.

“He travels a lot for work, and we’re on a work related trip.” Molly bit her lip, and took a long drink.

“What kind of work does he do?” Deb asked.

“Mom, I know this is going to sound shocking to you,” Molly looked around to make sure no one was nearby. “He’s a bit of a celebrity.”

“Oh, is that why we’re meeting him somewhere private for lunch?” Deb asked, and Molly nodded. “Who is it? Anyone I know?”

“Um, yeah, actually.” Molly finished her drink, and signaled for another - even though it was only 1 in the afternoon. “Why don’t we wait for him at our table.”

The two were shown to their table in a more private area of the restaurant and sat down to wait for Harry.

“So who is it?” Deb asked, not forgetting that Molly was about to tell her.

“Okay, um, this is going to be rather shocking for you,” Molly reached over and grabbed her mom’s hand, worried that her mother might faint at this news.

“Wait a second, did you say this ring matched his?” Deborah looked down at the ring on her daughter’s hand and realized where she recognized it from.

“Yes, actually…” Molly braced herself for whatever was coming.

“And he wears it on this finger, too?” Deb slowly lifted her eyes from the ring to her daughter’s face and stared with wide eyes. “Oh my god it’s Harry Styles,” she whispered so quietly Molly almost didn’t hear her.

Molly nodded and waited for the rest of the reaction she was expecting from her mom. This was clearly just the calm before the storm.

But Deb just stared, mouth open, eyes bigger than a saucer. After a moment, Molly realized her mom was looking just over her shoulder and Molly turned to see her boyfriend standing in the doorway. ‘Oh, that’s what she meant’ Molly thought and smiled at Harry.

“Hi!” She jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. 

“You didn’t tell me you had a sister?” Harry smiled, dimples on full display, and Molly heard her mom giggle.

“This is my mother, Deborah. And mom, this is-”

“Harry Styles.” Deb whispered again, almost trance-like. “And please, just call me Deb.”

Harry sat down at the table next to Molly and waited for Deborah to stop staring.

“How was your morning; were you successful?” Molly asked Harry, ignoring her mom’s stare.

“Um, no, not really, but I think we’ll have better luck searching for an apartment this afternoon,” Harry answered slowly, unable to ignore his girlfriend’s mom’s stare.

“I’m sure we’ll find something,” Molly smiled, and turned to glare at her mom. Harry’s phone rang, and he stood up to answer it in the hallway, leaving the two girls alone again.

Deb was quiet for a moment until she took a deep breath, as if she’d forgotten to breath since Harry’s arrival.

“Are you okay?” Molly asked, finally able to laugh at her mom’s odd behavior.

“He’s getting you an apartment?” Deb gave Molly a cheeky smile.

“Actually, we’re hoping to find you one, so you don’t have to stay in dad’s guest bedroom.” Molly saw her mother’s expression shift from cheeky to ashamed. She felt bad her mom couldn’t afford to live on her own, but she knew it was pride that kept her from staying with a friend. 

“Wow,” Deb’s cheeky smile returned. “You always hear about celebrities having a girl in every city, and how they set them up with an apartment, but not the girl’s mom!” 

“Mom, it’s not like that,” Molly whispered, feeling even more embarrassed by her mom’s reaction.

“It’s okay honey, they’re no shame in being a sidepiece for someone like Harry Styles,” Deb tried to whisper quietly to her daughter.

“I’m not a ‘sidepiece.’ I’m like, the piece.” Molly whispered back, and Harry returned to their table.

“Are you girls ready to order? I’m starved,” he smiled, and Molly was more than happy to change the subject.

That afternoon they did in fact have more luck than Harry’d had that morning, because they not only found a nice, reasonably priced place for Deb to stay, they also found her a job: real estate agent.

Once they saw the first apartment, Deb seemed to forget about Harry, or at least the fact that she had a t-shirt with his face on it that she’d worn to see him in concert when he was probably 17. It was clear Deb knew what she was talking about when she and the real estate agent went through the apartment, and there was a certain sparkle in her eye Molly hadn’t seen in years.

“Years of watching those home makeover shows,” Deb answered when the real estate agent asked how she knew all the correct terms and what to look for. “I especially love that couple, Chip and Joanna.” 

They talked for a bit, and after they decided on an apartment, they worked on getting Deb set up with her real estate license. 

“That turned out better than I expected,” Molly sighed when she and Harry returned to their hotel room that night.

“Today went pretty well,” Harry smiled.

“Thank you,” Molly slid a giftwrapped box over to Harry and smiled shyly.

“What’s this for?” He grinned and picked up the box.

“For helping me with my mom, and for putting up with her.” Molly shrugged. 

“She wasn’t as bad as you said she’d be,” Harry snickered and untied the ribbon.

“I was shocked, but I think she’s definitely changed a bit since the divorce.”

“This must be hard for you, I’m sorry.” Harry paused and put his hand on hers.

“Yeah, but it could have been worse. At least I’m grown up and not living at home anymore, so I’m not in the middle of it.” Molly shrugged, and Harry continued opening the box.

“What is this?” He smiled and lifted a rainbow colored knit hat from the box. “Did you make this?”

“I did; my grandma Annabelle taught me how to knit years ago, and this is my first hat.” Molly bit her lips. “And I know how much you like rainbows, so when I saw that yarn I knew I had to make something for you.”

“Thank you so much,” he leaned over to give her a hug before placing the hat snugly on his head. “It fits!” 

“I thought you might want something while growing your hair out again, if you’re still going through with that,” Molly added.

“That’s very thoughtful of you; I love the pom-pom you’ve added on top,” Harry inspected the hat in the mirror. “And, yes, my hair is still growing,” he added with a cheeky grin.

“You know what I mean,” Molly laughed.

“Yeah, I do, and if I do grow it out, this will be very helpful.” He turned to Molly and kissed her on the cheek.

“Now you have something to remember me when we’re apart,” Molly smiled, and leaned into him for a hug.

“Thank you, I’ll wear it every night on tour,” he smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

“I hope your joking, because that hat is probably very warm. And I don’t know how much Rupert would like that,” she laughed.

“I am joking, but thank you for reminding me to call Rupe. I want to know what he’s picked out for my first show.”

“That first show is going to be important. Not to add any pressure or anything,” Molly added, knowing Harry must be nervous.

“Thanks,” he joked. “So, that grandma Annabelle, she seems like a cool chick. Is she on your mums side or your dads?”

“My mom’s, though she’s nothing like my mom.”

“She’s the same one who said ‘nothing’s so broke it can’t be fixed’ right?” Harry asked.

“Yeah...you remember that?” Molly looked up at him curiously, shocked he could recall something she’d said to him the day they first met.

“Yeah, well, I’m a robot - or so they say,” he joked, and Molly shook her head.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you that one,” she laughed, recalling the morning she had informed him his fans thought he seemed a bit robotic in his interviews.

“Maybe I should start doing the robot on tour,” he smirked, and attempted a few stiff, awkward, dance moves.

“And maybe you can do a cover of ‘Mr. Roboto’ by Styx,” Molly added, and the two joked about his upcoming tour until they went to bed. As anxious as they both were about start of his tour, it was nice to know they could laugh about it now. Looking back, no matter how that first night goes, these are the positive memories they’ll always remember.


	27. Chapter 27

Harry sat in his dressing room tapping his foot nervously. The pomegranate scented candles he always brought with him were not as calming as he’d hoped. He heard his opening act, MUNA, finishing up, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he would be on that stage, facing his fans in concert for the first time as solo artist Harry Styles. 

 

A quiet knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. “Come in,” he said without taking his eyes off the spot he was staring intently at for no particular reason.

 

“15 minutes, Harry,” someone said, before leaving. Molly slipped in behind them and came to stand next to Harry.

 

“You look nice,” she said softly, and his eyes darted up to the mirror in front of them to meet hers. Molly studied the outfit Rupert had put him in: black skinny jeans (as usual), a v-neck Pink Floyd shirt -with the ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ prism splayed across the front- and a black jacket which had small flowers embroidered on the lapel. “I like the rainbow on your shirt.”

 

“That’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, you know, Pink Floyd,” Harry explained with a smirk.

 

“Oh, well I think it suits you.” Molly smiled. 

 

“Thank you,” he turned to face her. “Do you think these are too much?”

 

“The glitter boots!” Molly squealed and bent down to touch them. “No, I think they’re perfect!”

 

Harry cracked a smile at her enthusiasm, but it didn’t last long. Jeff opened the door while knocking, and saw Molly kneeling in front of Harry.

 

“Oh, um, I can come back,” Jeff started, and backed out of the doorway.

 

“It’s fine,” Harry stood up to talk to him and Molly realized what Jeff thought he’d seen. She smiled to herself as she stood up.

 

“They’re setting up the stage now if you’d like to come out, maybe say a few words to the band,” Jeff suggested.

 

Harry nodded, but didn’t say anything. He followed Jeff down the hall, with Molly right behind him, to the musician’s dressing rooms. They were casually chatting, not looking nearly as nervous and on edge as Harry felt.

 

“Hey!” Sarah smiled and hugged him. “You ready for the big night?”

 

Harry nodded, and they all turned a bit to face him. “I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to say, but let’s give them a good show. We’ve rehearsed enough, and I feel confident in all of you, so I think this should go well.” Harry swallowed hard and wished he felt as confident in himself as he did his band. He didn’t know what else to say, so Molly stepped up.

 

“We get to show off the ‘new’ Harry Styles tonight, and I think it’ll be well received. Good luck guys!” She smiled at the band and squeezed Harry’s hand, leaving them to warm up together. 

 

As she and Jeff walked toward the stage, where they would be watching the concert from the side of the stage in the wings, she could tell he wanted to say something to her.

 

“This is when we see if all your work paid off or not,” he finally said, sounding a bit ominous.

 

“I’m confident in Harry and the decisions we’ve made to  _ correct _ his image.” Molly answered, standing her ground and giving Jeff a stern glance. “But they’re his die-hard fans, they’ll love him no matter what. What really matters is if the reviewers like him, and what they write in the papers tomorrow.”

 

Jeff nodded in agreement, but didn’t say anything. After a moment, Harry and his band joined them, all joking and chatting about the upcoming show. Harry seemed more at ease now, but there was a palpable nervous energy thickening the air and making it difficult to breath. Molly leaned into Harry to give him a hug, and he brought his hands up to the sides of her face.

 

“You’re going to kill it out there tonight,” she grinned up at him, and he lowered his face to give her a kiss.

 

“You think?” He said without much enthusiasm. “Then why do I feel like I’m the one who’s going to get killed?”

 

“You’ll be fine, Harbear. Once you feel that energy again, with the crowd chanting your name, it’ll all come back to you.” 

 

“Harry, the stage is ready for you,” the stage manager interrupted them, and they pulled out of their embrace.

 

“Go get ‘em, rock star,” Molly added, and Harry winked at her before taking the stage with his band. She wanted to peak out at the audience, but waited for the curtain to open. She couldn’t wait to see the fans’ reaction, and knew there would be a lot of screaming.

 

The house lights were lowered in the auditorium, and the stage lights went out once everyone was in place. It got very quiet, and Molly thought her heart was beating audibly as the seconds ticked by. The curtain quietly swished open, and the crowd murmured with excitement. The stage lights came on, illuminating Harry with a pinkish-hued tone, and the audience erupted in cheers. Molly took a step back, never having been on this side of the screaming fans, and watched Harry as he seemed to absorb through some kind of photosynthesis all the energy they projected at him. 

 

Harry smiled broadly, and once the screaming died down a little, the opening of ‘Only Angel’ could be heard. Molly didn’t realize this was his opening song, and stood with her mouth open in shock as the ethereal opening was interrupted with Mitch’s guitar. With those first few notes, Harry completely unleashed and let loose, letting the ‘Harry’ that Molly had always known was there underneath it all take over. 

 

Molly turned to Jeff and smiled, almost as if to say ‘I told you so’ but found he looked just as impressed. “I knew he still had it in him; you just had to let him be himself, and not dress him up like someone he isn’t.”

 

“I hate to admit it, but,” Jeff turned to her and nodded, “you were right.”

 

Molly bit her lips to keep from saying ‘told you!’ and just smiled at Harry, doing his best on stage. He seemed a bit nervous before each song, but once he got into it things smoothed out a little. Halfway through the show he slipped his jacket off, and the audience went wild. Molly blushed, but knew if she had been in that crowd, seeing Harry for the first time in nearly two years, she probably would have been screaming too.

 

The stage lights went down a little, and kept Harry illuminated in a soft blue light as he picked up his guitar for ‘Two Ghosts’. This was the song he always seemed to be most nervous for in rehearsals - it wasn’t clear whether it was the emotional ties to the song, or the balance of playing guitar and singing at the same time without much backup, but Molly assumed it was probably a mix of both. As he turned to pick up his guitar, his eyes met hers for a split second, and she gave him a reassuring smile. She thought she saw the corners of his mouth twitch up for a moment, but whatever it was disappeared by the time he faced the audience again.

 

After some deliberation in rehearsals, Harry had decided to stick with ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ as his One Direction song, and the fans absolutely loved it. He also covered ‘Just a Little Bit of Your Heart’ (a song he co-wrote for Ariana Grande) and ‘The Chain’ by Fleetwood Mac. Yet, he had one more change-up in the set list, and added ‘Girl Crush’ again, surprising Molly for a second time that night. 

 

He concluded with ‘Sign of the Times’, and spent five minutes thanking the audience, and waving to them, before he finally left the stage, followed by the rest of his band. Molly was so excited she nearly jumped into his arms when he exited the stage, and wrapped him in a tight hug. 

 

“That was fucking fantastic Harry!” She nearly screamed and clung to his side as they walked back to his dressing room. 

 

“Nice work, Harry,” Jeff patted him on the back, and the band talked about the amazing energy from the crowd.

 

Yet through all of this, Harry was quiet, holding onto Molly as tightly as she was embracing him. When they got to his dressing room, he quietly slipped in as Mitch announced they were getting a drink if he wanted to join them. When the door clicked shut behind them, Molly finally peeled herself off of Harry to look up at his face.

 

“Harry,” she said softly, noticing there were tears forming in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

 

He was quiet for a moment before a grin formed, crinkling his eyes and causing those tears to slip free. “That was…” he took a deep breath and wiped his cheeks. “I missed that. It wasn’t perfect, but it was much better than what I was expecting.”

 

“It was beautiful; I think you did an amazing job.” Molly smiled and reached up to clear away another tear as it slipped down his face. “You sounded great, you looked damn sexy, and you connected with the audience.”

 

Harry laughed. “I’ll let Rupe and Lou know they did a good job with my look.”

 

“You know that’s not what I mean,” Molly bit her lip.

 

“I know,” he answered quietly and leaned down to press his lips to Molly’s.

 

“Did you want to get a drink with the band?” She asked.

 

“I’m exhausted. Would it be too lame if we just went to bed?” He asked.

 

“That’s fine. If by ‘going to bed’ you mean like ‘sleeping together’ as in-”

 

“No,” Harry laughed. “I really am tired, actually.”

 

“Too tired for sex?” Molly pouted.

 

“Yeah, it happens sometimes,” he joked, and the pair left to return to the hotel.

 

Once they settled into bed (to sleep) Molly turned to Harry with a questioning look.

 

“So, ‘Girl Crush’ again?” Molly asked. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

 

“I knew you liked it, and it got positive feedback after taping the BBC special, so I thought I’d add it for now. We’ll see how it went over tonight, but I think we’ll keep it.”

 

“I didn’t know you were going to open with ‘Only Angel’. Why’d you change it?” Molly asked.

 

“We thought it sounded better than starting with ‘Ever Since New York’, since it was more upbeat. And,” Harry added with a crooked smile, “you know how they say if you’re nervous when speaking in front of a crowd you should picture them naked?”

 

“Yeah?” Molly was confused.

 

“Well, I didn’t want to picture the audience naked, but I knew that if I was nervous, I just had to think of you singing ‘Only Angel’ in the bath really off key, and it would make me laugh.” Harry was laughing by the end of his explanation and Molly hit him with her pillow.

 

“Thanks,” she joked. “Glad I could help.” 

 

“You’ve helped me in so many ways -other than that, and I can’t even begin to thank you,” he smiled sleepily back at her and rolled over to sleep on his back.

 

“We’ll see if it paid off when we see the reviews tomorrow,” Molly answered.

 

Harry shook his head. “No, I didn’t just mean you helped fix my image.”

 

Molly waited for a moment, as it sounded like there would be more to that statement, but when she turned to look at him she found Harry fast asleep. She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek. “Goodnight Harry.” She whispered. “Sweet dreams, rock star.” She rolled over and tried to fall asleep, but was too hyped up from his concert, and kept trying to figure out what the heck he’d been saying when he fell asleep. 

  
  
  
  



	28. Chapter 28

“You’re going to have a special guest at your show tonight,” Molly smiled, but Harry got tense.

 

“What do you mean?” He asked. He was still a little on edge, despite his first show having gotten decent reviews. Most reviewers were pleasantly surprised by his change in wardrobe and general appearance, stating that it matched his music and his style. Yet, some felt he was still getting used to being on his own, but that was to be expected for his first show.

 

“An old friend of yours,” Molly smiled, hoping he’d guess, but he cocked his head in confusion. “Someone you could probably get back at by making him sing ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ with you…”

 

“Oh, Niall,” Harry chuckled. “Yeah, I know. There are actually going to be a lot of non-fans at this show since it’s LA, and I think Jeff’s invited some important people.”

 

“That makes sense.” Molly nodded, for once agreeing with Jeff. “Actually, there’s another surprise guest -someone I’m bringing- but you know her.”

 

“Your mom?” Harry bit his lips at the memory of meeting Deborah.

 

“No, god no,” Molly laughed. “No, a certain flower-named girl we both know.”

 

“Oh, Daisy?” Harry seemed thrown off by that, and was still a little upset that she seemed to have disappeared without a goodbye a few weeks ago.

 

“Yeah, that doesn’t bother you, does it? Your girlfriend and your former crush hanging out together?” Molly was joking, but something in Harry’s reaction made her think it was not far from the truth.

 

“I didn’t have a crush on her - I’m not 13,” Harry retorted and laughed. 

 

“Okay, but you seemed quite….what was the word… besotted with her.” Molly teased, and Harry nearly rolled his eyes when he recognized what she was referring to. 

 

“I don’t know how that became the ‘word of the day’ after that article was published, but that word is now used any time I’m linked to a new girl.” Harry shook his head. “And no, I wasn’t  _ besotted  _ with Daisy, and I certainly don’t have any kind of feelings for her now.”

 

“I’d hope not,” Molly smirked. “I’m going to sit in the audience with her, unless you’d prefer I stay backstage.”

 

“No that’s fine. You can get a different perspective sitting in the audience.” Harry had liked knowing she was just off stage for that first show, but he thought it would also be nice for her to see him from the fans perspective. There were still a few things they wanted to work out with the performance, and this could be helpful.

 

“Awesome. I’m going to pick her up from the airport and then we’ll probably get dinner before coming here. Unless you wanted me around for moral support or something?”

 

“No, I should be fine,” Harry shrugged. “I have some stuff to go over with the band anyway.”

 

“Great, well I guess we’ll see you tonight!” Molly gave him a kiss goodbye and left for the airport, leaving Harry on his own. 

 

As he got ready for the show that night he wondered if he should ask Niall up on stage with him like he had done to him back in London. It would only be fair, right? Harry thought so and laughed to himself as he pictured Niall’s reaction. Then, he got an even better idea and decided to practice one more song with his band as they warmed up.

 

Molly and Daisy talked over dinner, but avoided one main subject. Finally, when they were ordering dessert and Daisy got something she said she’d never tried before but had a sudden need to eat, Molly decided to bring up the elephant in the room.

 

“So that’s why you didn’t order a drink with dinner,” Molly said quietly. “I wasn’t sure if you were, still…”

 

“Well, I don’t drink, but...yeah, I am, still.” Daisy cleared her throat. “It’s about four months now.”

 

“Hence the hoodie,” Molly acknowledged Daisy’s loose-fitting attire, thinking it was not something she’d ever seen the girl wear before.

 

“Yeah. I’m not exactly ready to show it off to the world yet,” she answered, and paused their conversation while their dessert was delivered.

 

“Do you mind me asking how your girlfriend took the news?” Molly asked.

 

“Well,” Daisy stopped eating just long enough to answer. “Let’s just say she’s my ex-girlfriend now.”

 

Molly gave her a sympathetic smile, but wasn’t too surprised to hear that. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I made a mistake, and now I have to live with the consequences,” Daisy shrugged and dove back into her dessert.

 

Wanting to lighten the mood a bit, Molly smiled. “I can’t believe I thought it was Harry’s.”

 

Daisy stared at her for a moment before she burst out laughing. “What? Why?”

 

“I don’t know, he was being really weird about you, almost like he had a crush on you?” Molly laughed, because looking back on it now, it was just silly and she had clearly jumped to conclusions without any evidence. 

 

“We got along alright, but I never got that vibe from him. I thought he was excited to work together, but nothing more.” Daisy contemplated this for a moment before finishing up her dessert, and then asking if Molly was going to finish hers.

 

After dinner, the two headed to the Greek Theater and were shown to their seats in a VIP area. They ended up sitting right next to none other than Niall Horan, who was surprisingly not the only member of One Direction in the audience that night. 

 

“Oh my god that’s Louis Tomlinson,” Molly whispered to Daisy when she spotted him talking with Niall. 

 

“What?” Daisy asked and looked toward the two men Molly had pointed out.

 

“That’s Niall and Louis, of 1D,” Molly explained, and Daisy nodded.

 

“Is that the Irish one?” Daisy added.

 

“Niall is, yes.” Molly said quietly as they approached the two guys. She wasn’t sure if she should talk to them, or if that wouldn’t be appropriate, but before she could make up her mind Niall saw her and smiled.

 

“There’s our favorite One Direction fan!” He said loudly as he greeted them. “And you must be miss Daisy?”

 

“Yes, nice to meet you,” Daisy smiled and shook hands with him. 

 

“Louis, this here, is Harry’s girl I was telling you about,” Niall explained quietly and gestured to Molly.

 

Louis’ eyes got huge and he broke out into a huge grin. “No fucking way! This is the fan he’s dating? It is lovely to meet you, Molly. And you, as well,” he added and shook hands with Daisy. “I thought you and Harry sounded really nice together, you really meshed with him.” Louis added, and Niall agreed.

 

“Thank you,” Daisy nodded.

 

“I hate to ask this, but this is killing me...how did you and Harry end up together?” Louis asked Molly with a cheeky but interested smile, and quietly added, “he didn’t knock you up, did he?”

 

The guys laughed, and Molly knew he was joking, but she and Daisy both blushed and felt a bit awkward. “No, nothing like that…” she wasn’t sure what to say to him. Should she stick with the official story they were telling everyone else? Or was he considered an ‘insider’ and could know the truth?

 

“I’ve been wondering that too - how you got together, I mean, not the knocked up part,” Niall clarified. “Though, he’s Harry,” he looked at Louis and they both laughed.

 

“Meaning he’s the kind of guy who would stick around if he did accidentally get a girl pregnant,” Louis clarified, and Molly felt even more awkward now, since that was something Louis personally had experience with. Yet, they both sounded like they were confident they knew what Harry would do in that situation - like, oddly confident.

 

“Umm,” she finally said, remembering their original question. “We met a while ago, when he was doing SNL.”

 

“Oh!” They both seemed surprised. “So this has been going on for a while now, almost six months,” Louis pointed out. .

 

“Yeah, I guess so,” Molly added and instinctively grabbed her phone when it buzzed in her purse. She answered the text, and decided to send Harry a ‘good luck ‘ text before realizing she should also tell him Louis was here - in case he really was going to ask Niall up on stage for a song. It would be a bit awkward if he left Louis out of it, yet at the same time, with the three of them together, that’s 75% of a One Direction reunion.

 

She didn’t get a response from Harry, and realized he probably didn’t have his phone with him as the show was about to start.  _ ‘Well, this is going to be interesting’ _ she thought and settled into her seat as MUNA was about to start.

 

Molly could hardly pay attention because she was so aware of Niall and Louis on one side, and Daisy on the other. She had a feeling something interesting was going to happen tonight - whether that was a ‘good’ interesting or a ‘bad’ interesting they would soon find out as the stage was reset for Harry and his band. The audience had that same nervous energy Molly had felt at the first show, except this time she was in the middle of it and it was ten times stronger as she waited for something bad to happen. 

 

Harry got through ‘Only Angel’ and the first couple of songs without a hitch, and Molly was just starting to relax when Harry decided to change things up a bit.

 

“I’ve heard we have a special guest here tonight…” Harry smiled and the audience screamed - not even sure who he was referring to, but excited nonetheless. 

 

On either side of Molly she heard someone whisper “Oh shit…” and Molly’s anxiety suddenly shot through the roof when she realized Harry might be talking about Daisy. 

 

“I think some of you may know this person, and I’m hoping they might come up here and sing this next song,” Harry cryptically stated and picked up a guitar, but just held onto it instead of slipping the strap around his shoulder. Both Daisy and Niall play the guitar, so that didn’t clear things up for Molly.

 

As she tried to remember what the next song was, Harry continued speaking. “This special friend is none other than miss Daisy Rutherford, who I’ve heard has flown in just to see us tonight.”

 

“That’s not entirely true…” Daisy said quietly.

 

“Maybe if we ask nicely, she’ll come up here and sing ‘Two Ghosts’ with me?” Harry smiled in their general direction, and the house lights in the theater came up enough for them to be seen. However, when Harry saw who Molly and Daisy were sitting with, his smile faltered for a second. The audience didn’t seem to notice this and began chanting a mix between ‘Daisy’ and ‘Haisy’ it sounded like, and finally Daisy sighed.

 

“I might as well,” she shrugged and looked over at Molly, Niall, and Louis.

 

“Go for it!” Niall shouted, knowing well enough his turn was probably coming up soon.

 

“You don’t have to,” Molly added. “If you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to do it.”

 

“When else am I going to get a chance to sing here?” She said and stood up. Daisy was shown up to the stage and slipped Harry’s guitar on quickly - glad to have something covering her stomach in case the hoodie didn’t do its job. Harry gave her a hug and thanked her, before adjusting the microphone stand for her. Once the audience calmed down a bit, she started playing, and the two were illuminated in a bluish light at the center of the stage. Harry’s band was quiet as the two sang, and the audience seemed to be caught in the moment. 

 

“They really do sound so perfect together,” Molly commented to no one in particular, but Niall on her left responded.

 

“It’s too bad she didn’t want to tour with him,” he started, but was interrupted by applause when the song ended. 

 

Daisy gave Harry a hug, and he took the guitar from her. “Isn’t she lovely?” He asked while he adjusted the microphone stand and Daisy returned to her seat. The audience laughed, reminding Harry that’s the song he sang when he tried out for X-Factor over seven years ago. “Very funny, that’s not what I meant though,” he smiled and blushed a little. “I mean she was kind enough to come up here and play a song with me, just like old times.”

 

It was dark now that the house lights had gone down, but Molly was sure Harry was looking directly at Niall and Louis. The two guys shifted in their seats and cleared their throats, realizing it might be their turn now.

 

“Let’s give a warm thank you to Daisy!” Harry said, and after the audience quieted down again, moved onto the next song. “Anyway, this is ‘Woman’.”

 

“That fucker,” Louis laughed under his breath, but Niall agreed. The pair had just started to relax after a few songs, when Harry stopped again.

 

“Sorry, there’s going to be one last interruption to tonight’s show. I know it’s getting near the end, but I have to do this.” He tried to sound serious, but couldn’t keep the edges of his mouth from curling up into a slight smile. “I believe I have a couple of very old friends in the audience, one of which owes me…” His smile grew to a grin, and Molly could hear Niall and Louis spewing every kind of curse word under their breaths next to her.

 

“It’s your own fault, really,” Molly teased Niall, and he shook his head with a resigned smile.

 

“I have to, don’t I,” he laughed.

 

“I don’t owe him shit,” Louis defended. “I’m not the one who made him sing ‘Fool’s Gold’ with me!”

 

“If I’m doing it, you’re doing it,” Niall said, they both smiled but shook their heads when they realized there was no getting out of this.

 

“Come on...I can’t sing ‘Fool’s Gold’ on my own…” Harry grinned on stage in their direction and the audience cheered at the mention of the song.

 

“He’s doing ‘Fool’s Gold’?” Molly, Niall, and Louis all seemed surprised, but only Molly voiced her shock. Niall and Louis seemed to change their demeanor when hearing this, and exchanged glances. “Wait, are you guys actually going to do it?” Molly couldn’t help but smile.

 

“I think we have to,” Louis shrugged.

 

“Come on, I did it…” Daisy teased.

 

Niall sighed loudly, and stood up. “I’m doing it. I owe him, I think I have to.”

 

“If you’re doing it, I have to.” Louis stood up too, and muttering something about ‘peer pressure’ followed Niall up to the stage amidst the screaming fans they were both more than used to.

 

“Here they come!” Harry shouted. “Ladies and gentlemen, give a huge round of applause for my mates Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson!”

 

Even Molly found herself getting directioner-giddy despite having just sat next to the pair a moment ago. The three boys spoke for a moment on stage while things were sorted out, and Harry even gave Niall his guitar to play for this song. As Niall started playing those first few notes, the entire theater seemed to erupt in some kind of 1D frenzy. When the song started, Molly was suddenly just a directioner watching three of her favorite guys play one of her favorite songs; that wasn’t her boyfriend and his two former co-workers, they were 75% of her favorite band. 

 

Niall and Louis were escorted back to their seats by several guards after the song, and ended up leaving early so they wouldn’t get mobbed by fans. When Harry finally left the stage after the end of ‘Sign of the Times’ Molly and Daisy headed backstage to see him.

 

“So, that was unexpected,” Molly smirked. “You couldn’t have given us a heads up?”

 

“I think Niall should have expected it, and I didn’t know Louis was here until later, but I couldn’t leave him out,” Harry explained, still grinning.

 

“No, I meant with Daisy?” Molly corrected.

 

“Oh,” Harry’s smile melted a bit. “Well, I actually owe that to Jeff.” His eyes flicked over to Daisy and back to Molly.

 

“What do you mean?” Molly asked, realizing she was out of the loop on something.

 

“The reason I was here in LA, is to meet with Jeff about maybe hiring him as my manager.” Daisy explained, and Molly gave her a questioning look. “Sometime next year, well over five months from now.”

 

Molly nodded, understanding the time-frame Daisy was referencing. “That’s exciting!”

 

“Why wait, though?” Harry asked. He sound a little annoyed, and was probably still disappointed she didn’t want to tour with him - especially if she was going to start a career of her own.

 

“I have some things I need to finish up back home, you know, tie up loose ends…” Daisy smiled nervously.

 

“That makes sense,” Molly agreed, but Harry still seemed confused. “Why don’t we meet up with Niall and Louis? I feel like you owe them a drink after that.”:

 

Harry nodded. “That would be nice to catch up with them.”

 

Once Harry changed back into his normal clothes, the three of them arranged to meet Niall and Louis for a drink to catch up. It was nice for the three guys to talk, but it was a little awkward at times. After an hour or so, they all went their separate ways - except Harry and Molly, of course, who went home together.

 

“That was probably one of the most exciting concerts I’ve been too,” Molly smiled at Harry.

 

“Yeah?” He grinned.

 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “It was really weird seeing the three of you on stage together without Liam,  you’ll have to invite him to one of your shows so he can have his turn.”

 

“I think he now knows better than to come to one of my concerts - or Niall’s for that matter,” Harry joked.

 

Molly went to sleep that night wondering how or if she could trick the four of them into getting on stage again together. They’d gotten three of them, so that’s close. Maybe they would do it for charity? Maybe something for Christmas? It was a long shot, but Molly thought it would be good for not only Harry’s image (and probably the other’s, too), but would keep the 1D fandom alive for whenever they decided to reunite. 

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I momentarily considered having Daisy recognize either Niall or Louis as ‘that guy from the bar’ who knocked her up, but I decided not to get into that :p That would be too much!


	29. Chapter 29

Harry, Louis, and Niall met up at Louis’ for a drink a few days later to catch up. It was nice to just talk about non-work related things. Freddie even came out to see them for a bit before he had to be put down for a nap.

 

“That’s just so weird,” Niall said to Harry as they waited or Louis to return.

 

“What?” Harry turned to him.

 

“Seeing Tommo with Freddie like...I don’t know, like it just comes naturally,” Niall shrugged.

 

“Oh, yeah I guess.” Harry had in fact noticed, but his head was elsewhere at the moment.

 

“And now Payno and Bear...shit Harry, we’re the only ones left,” Niall laughed, and Harry nodded, but he was still deep in thought. “You and Molly ever think about that? Settling down? Having kids?”

 

“Yeah,” Harry absently nodded, until he saw Niall’s shocked expression. “I mean, no - we’ve only been dating like-” Harry stopped. They’d been dating a month, almost, but how long were they supposed to have been together? “Like, uh...a few months. It’s way too soon for that.”

 

“She seems like a nice girl. I can’t believe she’s a fan.” Niall snickered, and Harry hit his arm just as Louis returned.

 

“I leave you two for five minutes and you start fighting?” He joked as he joined them. “What are we teasing Harold about this time?”

 

“He’s dating a fan!” Niall laughed loudly.

 

“Ah yes that’s right,” Louis grinned at Harry’s blushing cheeks. “Tell me, was she one of those fans who finds out where you’re staying and tries to follow you up to your room? And you thought, ‘yeah, why not’?’”

 

“No, nothing like that,” Harry shook his head and his cheeks reddened even more.

 

“He’s blushing, I think I might be right,” Louis teased, and Niall snickered. 

 

“No, that’s not how it happened,” Harry defended again and hid his face in his hands.

 

“I asked her if you’d knocked her up, and she denied it, but really, you can tell us the truth, mate,” Louis continued, and Harry had to look up to see if he was joking or not.

 

“Why do people keep asking that?” Harry didn’t mean to sound mad, but this was the third or fourth time someone jumped to that conclusion. “She’s not skinny, but she certainly doesn’t look pregnant.”

 

“I was just teasing!” Louis defended. “But really, mate, you’re next.”

 

“I was just saying that!” Niall piped up, pulling himself out of his drink. “But why not me?”

 

“You’d have to have a girl to get pregnant,” Louis teased, and Harry laughed.

 

“I could get a girlfriend!” Niall defended. “Or, maybe I’ll adopt,” he added, pretending to sound smug.

 

Harry and Louis burst out laughing as Niall tried to defend his statement with a straight face.

 

“I could just see the headlines now: ‘Niall Horan adopts baby’.” Harry shook his head.

 

“Maybe I’ll adopt a teenager! Throw everyone off!” Niall laughed.

 

“I think you’ve had enough to drink for tonight,” Louis snatched Niall’s drink before he could could finish it off.

 

“I think we all might have had enough.” Harry agreed it was time to stop before someone had ‘one too many’ and the light hearted mood they had tried to maintain turned dark. There were certain subjects none of them wanted to bring up, and perhaps it was time to call it a night before anyone said anything they’d regret.

 

They parted ways and promised to keep in touch, wishing each other good luck with their upcoming albums/tours. As Harry rode home (electing not to drive) his head started to clear a bit, and there was only one thing on his mind: Molly.

 

When he arrived home, she was sitting on the couch watching a movie and knitting, so he slumped on the couch next to her.

 

“How was it?” She asked, and Harry briefly recounted the last few hours with his former bandmates.

 

“You even came up at one point,” he said slyly.

 

“Oh really?” She put her knitting down to give him her full attention.

 

“Yeah, they just teased me about dating a fan, but it got me thinking….” Harry cocked his head and looked like he was going to continue, but didn’t.

 

“About what?” Molly prompted.

 

“You said you wrote fanfiction about me. But, was it just about me?” He raised his eyebrow questioningly. The way Molly’s cheeks pinkened answered his question. “Oh, I see.” His lips curled into a slight smile.

 

“It’s nothing like that! No slash fiction! No Larry or anything like that,” Molly quickly explained, and Harry laughed.

 

“I’m not mad, I just want to know….who else?”

 

“Um….all of you, really. Mainly you, some Niall, but I did all of you.” Molly bit her lips.

 

“You ‘did’ all of us? I know what you meant by that,” Harry explained when he noticed Molly realized her poor word choice. “But I have to ask: did you ever want to sleep with them?”

 

Molly stared at him wide eyed. He was still smiling a bit, and had an impish look in his eyes, so she thought he was just curious. “I think a lot of girls did.”

 

“Fair enough,” Harry shrugged, but he wasn’t convinced. 

 

"But..."

 

"I should have known there was a but." Harry smirked and pulled Molly onto his lap so she was facing him, straddling his legs - all of this so he could grab her butt as he said the word ‘but’. He moved his hands up and clasped them behind her back.

 

Molly laughed, but was a little dazed by his actions. "Umm what was I saying...?"

 

"But." Harry reminded her, still smirking a bit.

 

"Before the 'but'."

 

"Before the butt? I'd say that's the lower back." Harry lowered his hands to the aforementioned area.

 

"Oh Harry," Molly couldn't help but laugh at his pun, and slipped off his lap to sit beside him, where she could think more clearly. "I mean, I was saying something before that..."

 

"You were about to say that you wanted to sleep with all of One Direction." Harry lost his joking tone a bit, even though he knew he had no real reason to be jealous.

 

"Right. I obviously wouldn't now because we’re dating, but….” Molly paused and waited for another attack from Harry. “Perhaps, (we’ll say 18, to keep it legal), 18-year-old Molly would not have passed up the opportunity to sleep with any member of One Direction - and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that sentiment.”

 

“Really?” Harry asked, though he wasn’t that surprised.

 

“Well, I think if it came down to it - like, if we were going up to your room or whatever after a concert, I probably would have chickened out.” Molly conceded, and Harry seemed happier to hear that.

 

Harry was quiet for a moment, so Molly returned to her knitting. 

 

“What’re you making?” He turned to look at it.

 

“A blanket,” she smiled and held it up for him to see.

 

“It’s pretty small,” he teased.

 

“Well it’s not done yet,” Molly stuck her tongue out. 

 

“I can’t wait to see it when you’re finished,” he stood up. “I’m going to grab something to eat, want anything?”

 

“No thanks.”

 

Harry headed off to the kitchen and opened the fridge, hoping to find something he could grab quickly, when his eyes settled on the container Molly usually stored her cupcakes in. ‘ _ That’s perfect,’ _ he thought as he pulled the container out and started to remove the cover.

 

Harry nearly dropped them all and quickly set the cupcakes down on the counter before leaning back against the fridge. Written in yellow icing, the cupcakes were arranged to spell out ‘it’s a boy!’ across the top with little flowers decorating the empty cupcakes. Harry’s heart leap up to his throat and tried to remember how to breath.

 

_ ‘Oh god, the little blanket it’s...a baby blanket!!! _ ’ He shut his eyes tight and wondered why Molly would tell him this way? Why not just say that she’s pregnant? And how far along was she that she already knew it was a boy?

 

“Harry?” His thoughts were interrupted by Molly’s voice and he heard her soft footsteps coming toward the kitchen.

 

Molly saw the container of cupcakes on the counter, with Harry sitting on the floor in front of the fridge looking distraught. “What is going on here?”

 

“Molly,” he looked pleadingly up at her and sounded like he was trying to catch his breath. “Are you…?” He couldn’t even finish his sentence, but intensely looked up at her from the ground.

 

“...going to a gender reveal party?” She finished his sentence. “Yes. That’s what the blanket is for. These are not for you, so keep your hands off them.” She put the lid back on the cupcakes.

 

“A gender reveal party?” He asked as he stood up and leaned against the counter, still not quite 100% stable yet after that shock.

 

“Yeah, it’s like a party for a pregnant woman where you reveal the gender of the baby,” Molly shrugged. “I haven’t actually been to one, so I’m not really sure what to expect.”

 

“Who is it for?” He asked, and Molly’s cheeks flushed.

 

“Just a friend,” she answered quickly and surprised him. “What? I have lots of friends who are getting married or having babies.”

 

“Okay…” Harry bit his lip and wondered why Molly suddenly seemed anxious.  _ ‘Was she jealous? _ ’ He didn’t dare ask her that, since it was far too soon in their relationship to bring up topics like that. 

 

"Can I come with you?" Harry asked shyly. He wanted to be more involved in Molly's life outside of him, and he didn't know any of her friends.

 

Molly laughed. "No, that's- it's a girls only thing, I think. Besides I've already RSVPed with no plus one; I said I'd bring cupcakes instead."

 

"Okay," Harry sighed and stared longingly at the cupcakes on the counter.

 

"Fine, if it makes you feel better, you can have a cupcake," she laughed, and Harry grinned before popping the top off the container. "Wait, let me pick one for you...here, I messed up the flowers a bit on this one." Molly handed him a cupcake, and Harry inspected the flowers.

 

"It doesn't look too bad...these look a bit like daisies, actually." Harry commented before taking a bite.

 

"What? No, daisies are white, and these are yellow? That's..." Molly laughed nervously again and put the cupcakes away. "That's just silly."

 

“This is delicious, by the way,” he added and took another bite.

 

“Thank you, and Harry, did you really think that if I was pregnant, that’s how I would tell you?” Molly laughed. “I think we both know how I would choose to inform you.” She grinned a cheeky smile.

 

“What?” Harry couldn’t quite keep up with her wit as his brain fought off unnecessary images of bassinets and pacifiers (and Freddie’s cute pajamas), and put the cupcake down.

 

“Come on… I’m pretty sure I’d have to say ‘I’m having your baby, and it’s none of your business’.” Molly held up her hands, as if to say it was obvious.

 

“Oh god,” Harry slowly relaxed and laughed.

 

“I mean, it’s your own fault, really.” Molly joked. “I do hope that someday, when you impregnate a girl, she decides to inform you via ‘Kiwi’. Or maybe she’ll just throw a kiwi at you, or have a box of kiwi’s delivered to your house. Or maybe she’ll dress up as one-”

 

“I get it,” Harry laughed.

 

“What’s gotten into you?” She asked when she realized how tense he’d been.

 

“Nothing,” Harry took another bite of his cupcake. “Just something that came up when I was visiting the guys.”

 

“I saw Niall’s instagram picture - you guys seemed like you had fun.” Molly smirked at the picture Niall had posted of the three of them laughing and drinking. “You should repost that on your insta, too.”

 

“Yeah,” Harry agreed, and continued with the cupcake.

 

“So, did Louis ask you if you’d gotten me pregnant?” Molly asked, and Harry nearly choked. “Because he asked me that when we met.”

 

“Why do people keep saying that?” Harry asked rhetorically, but Molly still answered. 

 

“I’m not as thin as some of the models you’ve dated, but I wouldn’t say I look preggers,” Molly joked, but Harry didn’t seem to find it funny. 

 

“Molly,” he put his hand on hers. “Don’t compare yourself to any girl I’ve supposedly ‘dated’ or been seen with. You are beautiful, and you don’t need to compare yourself to anyone for me to see that.”

 

Molly smiled shyly and leaned closer to him. He hardly ever complimented her like that, nothing beyond ‘you look nice today’ or ‘that skirt makes your ass look nice’. He seemed to be of a more ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts’ kind of guy - and Molly appreciated that a lot - but every girl loves to hear that she’s beautiful every once in awhile.

 

“Thank you,” she blushed, and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

 

“Thank you for the cupcake,” he paused to kiss her back, “cupcake.”

 

They headed up to bed shortly after, and while Molly fell right asleep, Harry was kept up with thoughts of what Louis and Niall had suggested that evening. Perhaps it was the alcohol still muddling his head, but Harry could not get that subject out of his mind as he drifted to sleep:

 

_ ‘Do people really think I’d only date a girl like Molly if I’d accidentally gotten her pregnant?’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By ‘a girl like Molly’ he means someone average, and not another celebrity. I haven’t really discussed her physical appearance much, so it’s up to the reader to fill that in however they want her to look : )


	30. Chapter 30

On their last day before leaving for the next location on Harry’s tour, he and Molly just hung out at home relaxing before the upcoming hectic months

 

“Harry, can I ask you something?” Molly asked. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

 

“Okay,” Harry’s mind instantly flashed back to the ‘cupcake’ incident, and hoped her question had nothing to do with that topic.

 

“At the ‘Dunkirk’ premier-”

 

“Wow, you have been thinking about this for a while,” Harry interrupted, and relaxed a little now that he knew her question wasn’t about ‘them’ and more likely about him - or his career.

 

“Yes, kind of. But, at the premier, whenever someone asked if you were going to do another movie you said you were “one and done” that this might be the only film you do,”  Molly paused and bit her lip as she tried to word the next half of her question. “Did you really mean that? Or did you not want people asking you when you were going to do another movie, so they would focus on the album instead.”

 

“Umm, yeah, kind of.” Harry tried to come up with a response to that. “There’s that, but also...I wanted to hear what people had to say about ‘Dunkirk’ first. Like, if I said I wanted to do more films, but then everyone though I was shit in ‘Dunkirk’ and I then decided not to act anymore, then it might look like I was giving up because of the negative reviews.” Harry grimaced as he realized that answer made him sound a bit shallow.

 

“That makes sense,” Molly nodded. “So, I guess my real question is - would you actually want to do more? Have you ‘caught the acting bug’ as they say?”

 

“Uhh…” Harry laughed and glanced at her. “I don’t know, it would depend on the project, but I enjoyed ‘Dunkirk’, and I would like to do something like that again. Maybe not exactly like it; I could do without all the swimming and the cold.” He gave Molly a cheeky grin, but she still looked serious. “Why do you want to know?”

 

“I’m just thinking ahead,” she started, then added: “For your career. Not, um, not like, for ‘us’ just, in terms of where you’re going next. Now that we’ve turned things around for your solo image, I think the next step is to focus on what’s next. It might be a good idea for you to consider taking a year off again to do another movie, and work on the next album. Then, when you come back you’ll have this new image more solidified, and you can match the album to that image.”

 

“You’ve been hanging out with Jeff too much,” Harry joked.

 

“Has he made a similar suggestion?” Molly asked and raised her eyebrows.

 

“Not really, he just wants to know what I’m planning on doing for the next album. I think Sony wants to know because this album...hasn’t exactly done as well as planned.” Harry sighed. “The next album is going to have to do better to make up for it.”

 

Molly nodded. She’d seen the sales, and poor charting positions, and wondered how Sony felt about this. “So the next album is going to be a bit less ‘Harry Styles’ and a bit more ‘whatever’s going to sell well’?”

 

Harry shrugged. “I guess.”

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject,” Molly smiled apologetically.

 

“No, it’s fine. You’re right, we do need to start planning ahead.” Harry didn’t sound very enthusiastic about this, and Molly hoped she hadn’t hurt his feelings. He knew it was her ‘job’ to tell him this kind of thing, but it hurt so much more now hearing it from his girlfriend.

 

“I have a suggestion, which you might like.” Molly paused to see if she should continue, or wait until he was in a better mood. Harry looked up, and seemed interested, so she carried on. “Do you have any more songs recorded that didn’t make it onto the album?”

 

Harry blinked a few times as he thought. “Um, yeah, I think so. They’re not like, perfect, we’d have to work on them a bit. But yes, we definitely wrote more than 10 songs.” He had to laugh at that last bit, since they’d spent how many months working on the album? 

 

“This is of course something you’d have to talk about with Sony and whomever else needs to be involved, but, I think you should consider releasing a ‘deluxe’ version of the album, with a few extra songs on it. Maybe some more behind the scenes stuff, too, people like that.” Molly bit her lips and waited for his reaction. “Perhaps, in December, in time for Christmas?”

 

Harry raised his eyebrows. “You really have been spending too much time with Jeff,” he joked, and a teasing smile started to form on his lips.

 

“Hey, If Jeff had these kinds of ideas, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place,” Molly laughed and returned his teasing grin.

 

“Well, then I’m glad I have a shitty manager, or I wouldn’t have met you,” Harry leaned in and kissed her nose.

 

“He’s not shitty, exactly, but you’re right.” Molly hadn’t thought about it that way, and paused as she realized the circumstances that had led to her and Harry dating. It was odd, definitely not normal, but if Harry’s solo career had taken off like they’d planned, she never would have whispered in his ear before interviewing him back in July. Okay, maybe she still would have, but she would have said something different, something that probably wouldn’t have led to this - and probably would have resulted in her being escorted from the building.

  
“How was your...baby sex party?” Harry asked, trying to remember what it was called. 

 

Molly giggled. “It’s a gender reveal party. Baby sex just sounds so wrong.”

 

“Sorry,” Harry laughed.

 

“It was okay. I didn’t know anyone there besides, um, my friend who is pregnant.” Molly answered. Harry didn’t need to know it was Daisy. Not yet, at least, not if Daisy didn’t want him to know.

 

“So, you just like, talk about the fact that the baby is a boy or something?” Harry asked, still not sure of the point of a gender reveal party.

 

“No, it was just a party. We had mimosas and played a name suggesting game where you write two names - a good suggestion, and the worst suggestion you can think of.” Molly explained. “The names were drawn randomly, and we had to guess if it was one of the good name suggestions, or the bad ones. It sounds lame, but it got pretty funny.”

 

“Really? How so?” Harry was intrigued.

 

“Most people stuck to actual names, but someone submitted ‘Potato’ for their bad name suggestion,” Molly laughed. 

 

“And what was your bad name suggestion?”

 

“‘Harry’ of course,” Molly teased, and he playfully hit her arm.

 

“Thanks.” He replied sarcastically.

 

“No, I actually think the name ‘Donald’ is pretty fucking terrible,” Molly bit her lips. “There were a couple of ‘Donalds’ actually…”

 

“I can’t disagree with you there. What about your other name suggestion?” Harry asked casually, even though he was actually quite curious.

 

“Niall,” Molly teased.

 

“Really?” Harry couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.

 

“No, I actually said ‘Joaquin’.” 

 

“Oh,” Harry cocked his head. “So, that’s a name that you would want to name your kid?”

 

“No, not really. I haven’t really thought about that too much. But, it’s a name I thought my friend would like,” Molly explained.

 

“And did she?”

 

“I think so. She didn’t pick a name for him at the party, but she seemed to like my suggestion.”

 

“That makes sense...she’d probably want to talk it over with her...the guy involved.” Harry wasn’t sure how to word it.

 

“Actually, there isn’t really a guy involved, it’s just her.”

 

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Harry looked genuinely upset, considering he didn’t know who they were talking about. “What a jerk - unless he’s passed away, I guess that would be acceptable. That would be really sad, actually.” He seemed to be very bothered by this thought, so Molly tried to change the subject.

 

“It was just a one night stand, I think. So, your next stop is in Nashville-”

 

“You’ve gotta have two, for the symmetry.” Harry grinned cheekily, and Molly just stared.  “You can’t just have one night stand, you need one on either side of the bed, so it’s symmetrical.”

 

Molly’s eyes rolled so far back in her head she thought she could see her brain. “That’s….” She sighed, but couldn’t help laughing. “That’s really bad Harry, you really crack me up; nice pun there, honey.”

 

“But yes, the next stop on the tour is Nashville.”

 

“Hey, I got another question,” Molly suddenly said.

 

“Uh oh,” Harry raised his eyebrows.

 

“I thought you were only going to sing ‘Girl Crush’ in Nashville? You sang it at the first two shows, is it a permanent part of your set list now?” 

 

“Oh,” Harry knitted his brows. “Well, for now I guess it is. It mixes things up a bit, I guess, but also...it’s kind of like penance, I guess.”

 

“What?” Molly did not understand that at all.

 

“I was such an ass about how I decided to tell you that I had feelings for you - you know, the sun and moon metaphor which you threw back in my face - and rightfully so.”

 

“Yeah, I remember that,” Molly nodded and recalled that conversation in the shower.

 

“And, the thing is, you were maybe right about how I felt about Daisy.” Harry admitted, and glanced over at Molly’s face just in time to see her curious expression melt into disappointment. “At first, at least. That’s why I was so eager to meet her, and wanted to bring her on tour, and...honestly, if I hadn’t had to maintain the pretense of dating you around my team, I think I may have possibly taken that a step further.” He couldn’t look at her, and felt ashamed just to admit this. Saying it out loud almost felt like he was admitting to cheating on her, even though nothing of the sort had happened. 

 

It was quiet for a moment, and Harry grew more uneasy with each passing second as he waited for Molly to reply. “Well, if you had, we would have found out much sooner that she was gay.”

 

“That’s…all you have to say to that?” Harry was surprised, and had expected her to be mad.

 

But Molly just shrugged. “It was pretty obvious how you felt.” She didn’t look very happy, but she certainly wasn’t mad.

 

“Oh,” Harry hung his head and bit his lip as he tried to think of a response, some kind of explanation or apology.

 

“But you’re right, I was jealous of her long blond hair, her, um, what is it? Magic stare?”

 

“Magic touch,” Harry quietly corrected.

 

“But yeah, I guess you could say I had ‘girl crush’ on her.” Molly looked down at her hands, and they both felt awkward, and maybe a little embarrassed, waiting for the other one to say something to break the tension.

 

“So, yeah, to answer your question, it’s penance. To remind myself that I was a dick to you, and that I don’t deserve a girlfriend like you.” Harry mumbled.

 

“Hey, that’s not true,” Molly took his hand and he was finally able to meet her eyes. He thought they would be filled with pain or disappointment, but she seemed at ease. “Yeah, you definitely didn’t go about it the best way, but in a way it kind of brought us together? It was that push we needed to go from ‘friends with benefits pretending to date’ to, this.” She leaned closer and rested her head on his shoulder. “I wouldn’t have realized I had feelings for you - like, actual feelings - if I hadn’t gotten jealous of seeing you and Daisy together.”

 

“Then I guess I could say the same about you and Tom,” Harry added, sounding a bit bitter at the memory.

 

“Harry, that was a long time ago,” Molly looked at him, confused, but mainly surprised.

 

He smiled back and shrugged. “I told you, it was that night that I saw you in that black dress at the ‘Dunkirk’ premiere that I knew it was going to be hard to continue just pretending to date.”

 

Molly thought back to the night he’d said that, and looked down at the ring he’d given her after dinner that night. She didn’t know what to say, so she leaned into him for a hug, and let him wrap his arm around her. “I wish I could say the exact moment when I realized that, but it’s a little different for me. I mean, I’ve liked you one way or another since I was 16. When I was jealous of you and Daisy, I assumed it was like when you dated Taylor, or anyone else, and I was jealous of them. I don’t think it was until you were singing ‘If I Could Fly’ to me that I properly realized that perhaps this was a different kind of jealousy.”

 

“This is what I get for dating a fan,” Harry joked.

 

“And this is what I get for dating a sap like you - hearing you play ‘Girl Crush’ every night of your tour, just because you feel bad about maybe hurting my feelings,” Molly smiled up at him. “I appreciate it, though.” 

 

“Thanks,” Harry leaned over and kissed her forehead.

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 


	31. Chapter 31

For his show in Nashville, Harry worked with his stylist Rupert to come up with an outfit with a country twang. He ended up in cowboy boots, dark colored jeans with a bit of embroidered accents at the hems and the pockets, and a plaid print shirt - which he buttoned all the way up to the top. He accessorized with a a belt, which Harry thought looked a lot like the belt Jim Morrison of The Doors was known for. 

 

At the start of the show he wore a cowboy hat, which he promptly removed and tossed into the audience to an eager audience member. Molly stood backstage watching with her own cowboy hat and boots, opting for a skirt, and a plaid shirt similar to Harry’s. There was definitely a more fun and relaxed vibe to this show as Harry got over the nerves of playing his first few concerts. The audience seemed to feel this as well, and reflected it back at Harry and his band. 

 

His cover of ‘Girl Crush’ went over particularly well with this crowd, and a few of his own songs - like ‘Sweet Creature’ and ‘Two Ghosts’ had a bit of a country sound tonight. He even tried out his best southern accent, and the audience roared with approval.

 

Near the end of the show, he introduced ‘Kiwi’ and the audience cheered loudly. “How many of you would like to see ‘Kiwi’ as my next single?” He asked with a cheeky smile.

 

Backstage, Molly and Jeff exchanged confused glances. “What is he talking about?” She muttered quietly, but Jeff was equally confused.

 

Harry dove into an electric performance of ‘Kiwi’ like they’d never seen before, and crowd went absolutely wild. They carried that energy into the last song - ‘Sign of the Times’ and ended the night with a positive feeling. Overall it was a success, and Harry left the stage feeling better than he had during his tour so far.

 

“If each show keeps improving like this, by the time we get to the last show in Japan you’ll just be levitating on the stage, transmitting the songs telepathically to the audience,” Molly joked, and gave Harry a kiss as he came off stage.

 

“That’s certainly an odd image,” Harry laughed. “I think you’ve been watching too many science fiction films.”

 

“I’m just saying, the improvement is clear - to me, and to the fans, and most importantly, to the critics. I know you don’t like to read reviews, but after the LA show, people were buzzing about the partial One Direction reunion.”

 

“That’s not really about my show, though,” Harry added skeptically.

 

“Yeah, but people liked it!” Molly smiled. “So, what now? Are we going to go out? Get lit?” Molly grinned and nodded, hoping Harry would agree.

 

“Get lit?” He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that before.”

 

“Come on, they’s a certain energy in the air, can’t you feel it?” Molly tugged on his shirt sleeve to persuade him to go out tonight.

 

“We have another show tomorrow night, we can’t get turnt, or lit, or whatever else you kids call it these days.” He smiled in amusement at Molly’s enthusiasm.

 

“Then, I guess we’ll just have to take this back to our room, then,” Molly leaned in to whisper in his ear, and Harry did not protest this suggestion.

 

“That is definitely something we can do.”

 

Despite staying up too late because of this ‘positive energy’ Molly kept referring to, they were on the plane the next morning to head up to Chicago. 

 

“I’ve never been to Chicago before,” Molly buzzed as she looked out over the city while the plane came in for landing.

 

“It’s a nice city,” Harry added, looking up from his notes on tonight’s show.

 

“I’ve heard they have some pretty good pizza here,” she joked and nudged him with her elbow.

 

“Hmm?” He looked up. “Oh, yes it’s pretty good.”

 

“You certainly seemed to like it a lot at that one concert,” Molly smirked.

 

“Oh,” Harry blushed and laughed at that memory. “You know about that?”

 

“Yes, just like the ‘poutine’ at the...was it the Montreal show?” 

 

“Yeah,” Harry smiled. “I do like poutine, though.” He nodded wistfully before returning to his notes.

 

“I definitely have to get some pizza before we leave.”

 

“I think we might have time to do that tomorrow. The schedule is pretty tight today,” Harry looked over the itinerary again.

 

“If you’re busy, I have a friend who lives out here who I can persuade to come with me,” Molly said, and Harry nodded. He wished he was more available to do these kinds of things with her, but even if he was available, it’s just not practical to show up to Lou Malnati’s - one of the busiest and most well known places to get deep dish pizza in Chicago - just to get a pizza with his girlfriend. Especially since she wasn’t supposed to be his girlfriend publicly.

 

For his show that night, Harry returned to his usual look of black skinny jeans and boots. He wore a Chicago Cubs shirt (since they won the World Series last year) and a dark colored jacket. He remembered to mention the pizza again during this show, though perhaps not as enthusiastically as he had the last time he was here. He also mentioned ‘Kiwi’ being his next single, again, and got the audience to chat ‘kiwi’ before he sang it.

 

There was no levitation, or telepathy, but it was still a great show. He and Molly were tired from their late night the previous evening, so they went straight to bed. According to the itinerary, Molly would have enough time to get that pizza she wanted before they had to leave for New York, but Harry had to meet with Jeff and a few other people in the morning - mainly to discuss this business of ‘Kiwi’ being the next single. He suggested Molly meet up with her friend, and he could join them if he had time (and if the friend was good at keeping secrets).

 

“Oh don’t worry, she is,” Molly smirked, and texted her friend. It seemed a coincidence that they should meet up again in such a short period of time, but Daisy agreed to show Molly around her ‘hometown’ of Chicago and then grab some pizza with her.

 

The two met up at Millenium park at the Cloud Gate sculpture - or as it’s commonly called, the big shiny bean. They walked around the park for a bit before grabbing lunch. As they waited, they talked for a bit - even though they just saw each other a few days ago.

 

“So, I have to ask - why do you have so many friends in LA if you’re from Chicago?”

 

“Well, technically I’m not even from Chicago. I grew up in Kentucky and moved here when I was 12,” Daisy explained.

 

“Oh, hence the accent, okay,” Molly nodded.

 

“But I left for LA when I was 18, hoping to start a career in music. Also, things didn’t go too well with my parents when I came out, so I kind of left without looking back.” Daisy added quietly.

 

“Sorry to hear that. Are things better now?”

 

“Yeah, I returned a few years later after LA didn’t work out either, and they eventually came around.” Daisy shrugged. “They’re more than happy they’re getting a grandchild, though.”   
  


“I can imagine.” Molly recalled the many times her mom expressed interest in a grandchild, but always followed it up with: ‘but no rush, you should have some fun first.’

 

“So everyone at the gender reveal party were old friends of yours?” Molly asked.

 

“Yeah, we’ve kept in touch over the years. I stayed with one of them when I was out there with Harry, and again for the party.” Daisy explained.

 

“So, did you end up signing with Jeff?” Molly asked.

 

“With his company, ‘Full Stop Media’. He won’t be my manager, specifically - I guess he’s kind of busy with Harry right now.” Daisy paused to smirk, and couldn’t help but laugh. 

 

Molly’s phone buzzed, and she flipped it over on the table to read a text from Harry:

 

_ *Where did you end up going? _

 

She responded they were at Lou Malnati’s, and put her phone away. “Sorry, that was Harry.”

 

“That’s fine,” Daisy shrugged. “And how are you guys doing?” She asked in an almost teasing voice.

 

“Things are going well! We’ve managed to keep our relationship a secret so far.” 

 

“That’s good. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to keep  _ this _ a secret any more,” Daisy twisted her mouth into a half smile of chagrin, and pointed to her definitely noticeable baby bump. 

 

“With your petite frame, it would indeed be hard to mask that.” Molly agreed. “Have you picked a name yet?”

 

“No, but I liked a lot of the suggestions from the party. I liked yours, and actually my friend suggested ‘Dylan’ as her ‘bad’ name suggestion, but I kind of like it. Like Bob Dylan,” Daisy explained.

 

“Or Dylan Sprouse,” Molly added, and Daisy stared blankly. “From ‘The Suite Life of Zack and Cody’?”

 

Daisy still seemed confused, so Molly continued. “It was on the Disney channel.”

 

“Oh,” Daisy nodded, and it was quiet for a moment as the each remembered not only how different they were, but how little they knew about each other. “Well, I also thought maybe I should go with another nature-related name, something to go with Daisy.”

 

“That’s a good idea. Like...Sky? Skylar?” Molly suggested.

 

“Skylar’s nice, I like that,” Daisy thought for a moment. “What about you? What baby names do you like?”

 

“Oh god, Harry asked me this,” Molly smiled and shook her head.

 

“Really?” Daisy knitted her brows. “How did that go?”

 

“I said I didn’t have any - which is true! Though, at one time, I thought it would be nice to name my son ‘Niall’, after his dad, but I didn’t tell Harry that,” Molly giggled and felt her cheeks turn pink with embarrassment, but Daisy laughed too. 

 

“That’s probably smart, I could see Harry being not too happy with that,” Daisy laughed, and checked the time. “Where is our food? They said it would be a while, but it’s been a while!”

 

“I can ask if you’d like?” Molly was surprised by Daisy’s sudden outburst.

 

“Can you please? That would be nice,” Daisy smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I’m eating for two, you know. I guess I get a little grumpy now when I’m hungry.”

 

“No, problem, I’ll be right back,” Molly got up and left to find their waitress, leaving Daisy alone at the table. Daisy played with her phone for a bit, until she heard a bit of a comotion so she looked up.

 

On the other side of the restaurant was none other than Harry Styles. ‘ _ What the fuck is he doing out here? Alone?’ _ Daisy cursed under her breath and assumed Molly had invited him, so she stood up and waved so he could find their table. He looked confused and made his way to their table as fans tried to ‘discreetly’ take pictures.

 

_ ‘This was not a good idea, what was Molly thinking?’ _ Daisy thought as Harry neared, and looked for Molly.

 

As Daisy turned to scan the restaurant for Molly, Harry stopped suddenly. He was finally close enough to see the baby bump, and his brain froze as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

 

“You’re...pregnant?” He stammered, and stood in the same spot, frozen.

 

“Yeah,” Daisy felt a little embarrassed by his stare, and sat down, wishing Molly would return. She thought Harry knew, since he and Molly had talked about names. The fans taking pictures were not so discrete any more, and Daisy wished she could disappear.

 

Harry finally got his brain to make his feet move, and they turned him around and carried him back outside the way he’d come in. He hopped in the car that had dropped him off, and left.

 

Perhaps it was the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it’s because she hadn’t eaten yet, but Daisy could not get the look on Harry’s face out of her head, and slowly started sobbing. 

 

Molly started to return, saw Daisy crying, and found the waitress again. “Actually, can we get that to go?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the belt I’m referring to: http://www.bluemaize.net/im/belts/jim-morrison-belt-7.jpg
> 
> I don’t recall Harry every saying that he liked The Doors? But I feel like he’d like them, or at least Jim Morrison 
> 
> PS. I went to Lou Malnati’s last time I was in Chicago and it is fantastic. I think Harry even mentioned it during his latest show in Chicago (the name kind of sounds like the Illuminati xD)


	32. Chapter 32

Harry was still pacing their hotel room when Molly returned after dropping Daisy off. 

 

“What was that all about?” Molly demanded. “I get up for two minutes, and return to find Daisy in tears, because you randomly showed up and looked at her with disgust, and left without saying a word?”

 

“That’s not what happened!” Harry retorted. “I mean, it kind of is, but I was surprised, not disgusted, to see that she was….”  He didn’t want to say it. What if she wasn’t? What if she had a tumor, or had just gained a lot of weight in that one particular spot?

 

“....pregnant.” Molly finished his sentence, and he sighed frustratedly.

 

"Daisy," Harry said slowly, and Molly nodded, "is pregnant?"

 

"Yeah," Molly nodded again, and watched Harry's eyes squint as he tried to figure this out.

 

"The same Daisy that shocked us all by declaring she was a lesbian during a live interview? And who told us she had a girlfriend? She," Harry paused to draw a breath, "is pregnant?!"

 

"Yeah," Molly repeated.

 

"So, was she lying about being gay?" Harry asked, still trying to figure this out.

 

"No."

 

"So, was it like, a sperm donor or something?" He asked.

 

"Ummm," Molly laughed to herself. "You could say that; unintentional sperm donor is more appropriate."

 

Harry’s eyes shot open. “What? She slept with a guy just to get pregnant?”

 

“No, no I’m pretty sure that was not her intention.”

 

“I’m so confused,” Harry finally sat down on the edge of the bed, and Molly came to sit next to him. “We just saw her last week in LA, she looked….oh, that explains the oversized hoodie.” Harry nodded as he recalled Daisy’s attire the night he dragged her up on stage to sing with him.

 

“Yeah,” Molly nodded.

 

“And those cupcakes were for her baby sex party, wasn’t it?”

 

“Yes, and don’t call it that,” Molly laughed. “It’s a gender reveal party.”

 

Harry was quiet for a moment. “So, you knew, and you didn’t tell me?” He sounded hurt, betrayed, but mostly confused. Why would she keep something like that from him?

 

“She didn’t want me to tell anyone, and it was kind of a tricky situation.” Molly explained.

 

“I know, but I’m your- But we’re-” He motioned his hand between the two of them, to indicate they were ‘together’, as he couldn’t find words at the moment. “We’re supposed tell each other these kinds of things, trust each other.” 

 

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” Molly defended, but Harry was still upset. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, and rubbed his eyes.

 

“This is a lot to process right now.” He finally said and ran his hands through his hair as he sat up. “Why didn’t you just tell me Daisy was the friend you were visiting?”

 

“I didn’t think it was necessary, since you weren’t coming with me. Actually, what were you even doing there in the first place?” Molly added. “You can’t just show up somewhere like that without being noticed.”

 

“I was going to surprise you since my meeting finished early.” Harry sighed.

 

“Why? We can be seen together publically?” Molly was trying not to sound mad, but she didn’t see many other ways of looking at this.

 

“I know, and we weren’t. But I thought people wouldn’t notice, or care, and if they did recognize you, you’re Gemma’s friend, and maybe we were just meeting up because you were in the area.” Harry shrugged. It had made more sense in his head. “I wore a hat,” he added, as if he thought he would make him ‘incognito’.

 

‘Manager Molly’ had a lot she wanted to say to him, and most of it was not nice. But now was not the time for that, and she was sure Harry would get a similar berating from Jeff soon, so for now, Molly had to be the girlfriend. He was just trying to be nice, and surprise her at lunch. After mentally drafting and redrafting several responses, Molly finally said, “I appreciate the sentiment.”

 

“I know I fucked up, you don’t need to be sarcastic about it,” he shot back.

 

“I’m not! I’m sorry if I sound upset, but it’s because I am! This is a really big deal, Harry, I can only imagine what the media would say about this if anything got out. Did you tell Jeff about this right away? Your PR team should have been able to stop it from getting out.” ‘Manager Molly’ took over, as ‘girlfriend Molly’ clearly failed.

 

Harry was quiet, still leaning on his elbows and staring intensely straight ahead. “Kind of.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I told him, and he was mad I’d gone out like that, but when I told him about seeing Daisy…” He sat up and looked down at his hands. He looked ashamed, or guilty, but Molly wasn’t sue why. “This morning, at our meeting, Sony agreed that ‘Kiwi’ should be our next single, but I’ll have to do more promotion for it than we did for ‘Two Ghosts’ since that didn’t chart as well as they wanted it to. So, they basically said ‘Kiwi’ needs to have a music video, I’ll do some interviews - anything to get people interested in it. And I agreed because I like the song, and I think it might be fun to promote.”

 

Harry was quiet again and bit his lips as he tried to figure out how he was going to say this next part.

 

“A music video would be fun, I think there are a lot of things we could do with that.” Molly stated, but Harry didn’t really hear her.

 

“When Jeff found out Daisy was pregnant, and he saw the pictures of me...reacting to that….he decided not to do anything. Just let the story get out, and let people interpret it the way they want.” Harry blurted out, and took a deep breath. “He’s going to let people assume that I got Daisy pregnant,” he added quietly with a shaky voice.

 

Molly’s blood turned to ice in her veins as the severity of that last sentence set in. “That she’s having your baby, and it’s none of your business.” She said quietly. “He can’t do that to her, I have to let her know.”

 

“She’s his client too, so, yes he actually can,” Harry begrudgingly corrected her, because he wished it weren’t true. 

 

“This is too far, Harry, this is way too far. I need to talk to him. We can still fix this.” Molly stood up and slipped her shoes back on.

 

“He’s already left for the next show. We should have been on that plane too, but I just couldn’t stand to be around him after that.”

 

Molly froze and tried to think of the next step. “There has to be something we can do!”

 

Harry shrugged. “Maybe no one’s talking about it?”

 

“I doubt it, something like this would be all over the tabloids.” Molly pulled out her phone and did a quick search.

 

**‘Harry Styles and former duet partner Daisy Rutherford had a public falling out’**

 

**‘Daisy Rutherford surprised Harry Styles with noticeable baby bump’**

 

**‘Harry Styles leaves baby mama in tears at popular Chicago pizza place’**

 

The headlines made it clear - this was a hot subject and it was spreading like wildfire. Most people seemed to speculate exactly what Jeff hoped they would, and Molly’s heart raced as she tried to think of a way to fix this. The pair flew two New York that night for Harry’s next show and spent the flight doing as much damage control as they could.

 

Harry was on the phone for most of the flight trying to reassure his mother, sister, etc. that it was in fact not true. He even called his pals Nick Grimshaw and James Corden to see if they could ‘casually’ bring it up on their respective shows and deny the rumors, or at least point out how absurd it is. 

 

Molly, on the other end of the plane, was deep in thought. No matter what Harry told her, this was her fault. He tried to say it was just bad timing and miscommunication, but it was so much more than that, and she could have prevented it. When Harry texted her asking where they were, she thought he was just curious to see where she was eating, or if it was the place he’d recommended (and it was). This could have all been avoided if she’d asked why he wanted to know, but she didn’t expect him to just show up like that - even if he was wearing a hat.

 

On a larger scale, Molly felt responsible for dragging Daisy into this. Not just for getting lunch with her, which inevitably led to this mishap, but for introducing her to Harry in the first place. Molly encouraged Daisy to hire Jeff as her manager, and never thought anything like this could come of it. 

 

How had Molly even gotten into this? She was just a girl with a marketing degree, and had no idea how the music industry worked. How had she ended up giving Harry Styles career advice? And how on Earth did she end up dating him?

 

This last part had puzzled her since the day he’d asked her out. How did she end up dating the guy she’d idolized in high school and written fanfiction about? Harry was the boy she imagined would take her to prom, when she ended up dateless and going single with a group of friends. Harry was the fun boyfriend she wrote about in her fanfiction who surprised his girlfriend by taking her to the Eiffel Tower, or who snuck his girlfriend backstage during 1D concerts for a quick shag before a show. But ‘her’ Harry was not real, and Molly knew that. 

 

The real Harry was not this confident, charismatic, and outgoing guy she, and so many others, had mentally painted as the ‘perfect boyfriend’. He was a real human being who had normal problems and made mistakes. However, the results of those mistakes were often broadcast around the world and speculated on by his fans and the media. Somehow, Molly had inevitably pushed him into such a situation, or rather, set him up to fall right into it.

 

Molly finally returned to her seat next to Harry as they came in for landing at JFK. He put his phone down and stared blankly at his hands in his lap as the plane touched down and taxied down the runway. 

 

“I really only see one way to fix this properly: you have to fire him, and publicly state you had no part in this.” Molly stated and stood up as the plane came to a stop. 

 

“I can’t, we’ve signed a contract, and I would lose so much more than just him if I fired Jeff.” Harry tried to explain. “I would lose everything that comes with signing with the Azoffs, and probably face a lot of backlash afterwards.”

 

“Well, you’re going to lose a lot more if you don’t. Your reputation, the respect of anyone outside your hardcore fans, and,” Molly bit her lips and took a deep breath. “And this has gone too far, for me; I don’t think I can be a part of this anymore. The only way to fix it is to end it.”

 

Harry’s heart sank and he tried to say something to change her mind. “Molly…” he said softly, and reached his hand out toward her. She grabbed his hand, placed something in it, and closed his hand around it

 

“I can’t,” she said quietly, grabbed her suitcase, and left without looking back. 

 

He could have easily run after her and stopped her, maybe apologize, but what could he really say? He thought about it as he watched her fade away, with each step getting further and further from him.

 

But he knew she was right. He knew this was too far, and the only way to fix it was to end it.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to end this on such a sad note before the holidays : ( but the next chapter is already in the works. I’ve had this idea for a while, but now that I’m actually writing it, it seems much darker than I’d originally planned


	33. Chapter 33

Harry opened his hand to see what Molly had given him, and it was exactly what he thought it was: the matching ring he’d given her so she’d remember him when they were apart on tour. He stared at it for a while and tried to figure out if this meant what he thought it meant. She said the only way to fix it, was to end it. 

 

But was it really over? Just like that?

 

As Harry pondered this, he rolled the ring around in the palm of his hand.

 

_ ‘It can’t be over, not yet.’  _ He thought as he slipped her ring on his pinky finger, and left the airport for his hotel. He’d gotten used to her soft breathing at night, and found it nearly impossible to sleep without it, so he got up around midnight to look into something he should have a long time ago.

 

The next evening he tried to clear his head as he got ready for the show, and wore something similar to what he’d worn in the last few concerts. Rupert came in at the last minute with a t-shirt for Harry and held it up for him to inspect.

 

“That’s wonderful!” Harry grinned as he read the words on the shirt: ‘Central Perk’, the coffee shop the characters of Friends had often met at, and the six of them were shown underneath it on that orange couch from the opening credits. 

 

“I thought you’d like it,” Rupe smiled and tossed him the shirt, leaving him so Harry could change in private.

 

Now fully dressed, Harry took a deep breath before going on stage. He felt anything but confident after Molly’d left him in the airport like that, but he had to put that aside and do his job. Once he got on stage and heard his screaming fans, his mood lifted, and he was able to go about the show as normally as possible - despite the uncertainty that loomed over him like a dark cloud.

 

Halfway through playing ‘Girl Crush’ Harry’s eyes met with Molly’s and he stopped mid sentence. His throat hitched and he tried to swallow and continue with the song, but the shock of seeing her in the audience left him frozen in place. He stepped back from the microphone and grabbed some water. He cleared his throat and finally managed to continue with the song, but he was still very tense, and it didn’t sound the way he’d hoped.

 

Harry did not think Molly would be at his show - especially not in the audience. He glanced back over at her and saw her talking with someone, and remembered that she had told him a while ago that she had bought tickets with her friends months ago. He tried not to stare at her, and got through the next song okay, but paused before the next song. He turned back to his band and spoke to them for a moment, before returning to the microphone.

 

“This is the part where I usually play ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, but I’m going to mix things up a little tonight, because I have a special guest in the audience tonight, and I think they’d appreciate this song.” Harry tried to relax and sound calm, but at the moment he was anything but calm.

 

Molly’s friend Alexa turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “What is he talking about? Who’s here?” She pulled out her phone to see if anyone had been spotted.

 

“He’s probably just being dramatic,” Molly shrugged.

 

“What has gotten into you?” Her other friend, Lilly, asked. “You’ve been such a grump all night.”

 

“Sorry, I’m just tired. Work is...complicated right now-” Molly stopped as the first few notes of the next song started playing.

 

“If I could fly,” Harry started, and the audience squealed, drowning out the rest of the line.

 

Molly stood frozen, staring up at him as if it was just the two of them, as everyone around her had some kind of fit. It was suddenly that day in August, when Harry surprised Molly with this song, and ended it by asking her out. They were alone in their own little world, oblivious of the screaming fans around them - including Molly’s friends who were both in tears by the end of the song.

 

“Here,” Alexa handed Molly a tissue as she and Lilly carefully wiped their eyes so their makeup wouldn’t run.

 

“What?” Molly blinked a few times, and hadn’t even realized she had started to tear up. She patted her eyes dry, and when she looked back up at Harry he had his back turned to the audience and seemed to just be standing there.

 

When he finally turned around, Molly saw his eyes were glistening, and she wanted to climb up on stage and give him a hug. He wiped his eyes and smiled before stepping up to the microphone. 

 

“Sorry, that song gets to me sometimes.” He introduced the next song, and carried on as if nothing had happened - though he did seem a little distracted. After a few songs, he paused again to talk.

 

“I’ve complained enough, and Sony has agreed that ‘Kiwi’ will be our next single!” The audience erupted in cheers at this news, and Harry finally smiled. “Before we start, I would like to set the record straight first.” He looked directly at Molly, and she knew he was going to do it. “There have been some rumors going around about me -” He stopped suddenly and looked off stage. Molly could only assume Jeff was telling him to shut up. “And, um, just want to say that they’re not true, and I’d like to apologize to the lovely Daisy Rutherford for putting her in this situation. She doesn’t deserve this kind of unwanted attention, so I ask you all to please let her be to deal with this unfortunate situation in peace.” Harry glanced back at Molly, and she nodded. A small smile slid onto the corners of his lips at her approval, and he seemed to have regained his confidence. “Now that that’s cleared up, here’s ‘Kiwi’!”

 

He seemed revitalized for the last two songs, and almost played ‘Kiwi’ a second time at the audience’s request, but he thought it would be tacky, so he decided not to. He caught Molly’s eyes one more time before leaving the stage, and she smiled back. She and her friends left to hit up a few bars after the show, and for the first time since the pizza incident in Chicago, Molly relaxed.

 

“I think he’s lying; I think he just said that to save face.” Lilly said, and looked at Molly for her opinion.

 

“What?” She had not been paying attention.

 

“The thing about that girl he supposedly knocked up? I don’t buy his lame explanation.” Alexa shook her head.

 

“Why not?” Molly was genuinely interested. Perhaps being on the inside made her see things differently now.

 

“Um, it’s obvious?” Alexa stated, and Lilly agreed. “Okay, so this Daisy girl shows up out of  nowhere in August, then suddenly and publically says she’s gay - which seemed very staged to me - and now it comes out that she’s pregnant?”

 

“I don’t see how any of that has to do with anything,” Molly interjected. “She’s like four months pregnant; Harry didn’t even know her four months ago.”

 

“We don’t know that,” Lilly added.

 

“Yeah, I think he did know her - like, in the biblical sense.” Alexa added and the two cracked up, but Molly rolled her eyes.

 

“Come on, Molls, you used to love talking about stuff like this.” Lilly complained.

 

“I’m just tired, sorry.” she shrugged. “Carry on.”

 

“Okay, so they hook up, maybe it was a one night stand, and she gets pregnant. Then, in August, she tries to blackmail him or something, and to appease her he says he’ll help her with her singing career.” Lilly paused to make sure they were following her theory. “Once that was established, she plays the ‘lesbian’ card to get out of there before she started showing, so people wouldn’t know she’s pregnant.”

 

“Okay, but why go public with it now?” Molly asked skeptically.

 

“For the ‘Kiwi’ promo, obviously.” Alexa explained.

 

“You think Harry knocked up a girl four months ago, just to use it as promo now?” Molly raised her eyebrows.

 

“No, it was an accident.” Lilly corrected. “Maybe Daisy planned it, but I don’t know.”

 

Molly stared back at her drink in shock and disgust. Had she really been like that? Nothing like this had ever happened in the fandom before, but she was sure she would never have speculated these kinds of crazy ideas if she were still a normal fan, right? She downed her drink and left to get another one. When she returned, her friends were still talking about ‘Harry’s’ baby.

 

“Guys, come on, he denied it, doesn’t that mean anything?” Molly asked.

 

“He’s probably just saying that because he’s getting a lot of backlash from it.” Alexa shrugged.

 

“Then what would it take for you to believe it isn’t true?” Molly asked as a last ditch effort.

 

Her two friends exchanged glances and shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s hard to forget something like this. Like, you can’t unlearn something, even if it’s not true.”

 

“So, nothing Harry, or Daisy, could say would change your minds?” Molly asked, hoping for any kind of inspiration for Harry’s next move in this debacle. 

 

“I mean, if the baby is a different ethnicity, then it might be obvious it’s not Harry’s,” Lilly joked, and Alexa giggled. 

 

“It  _ might _ be obvious?”Molly sighed. She was fighting a losing battle. “You know what, let’s just get drunk, and hit the dance floor. I want to forget about everything tonight.”

 

Harry tried texting Molly several times after the show, but got no reply. He assumed she was out with her friends, but he really needed to know if she was going to continue on tour with him or not. He heard Jeff coming, so he slipped his phone away and reached into his pocket for Molly’s ring. He took it off before the show because it would look weird if he had two identical rings on one hand.

 

“No Molly tonight?” Jeff asked, and had a look in his eye Harry didn’t like; it was almost like he was testing him, trying to provoke him

 

“She’s visiting her mum,” Harry answered quickly and tried to move on.

 

“That was some speech you had before ‘Kiwi’. I didn’t appreciate that.” Jeff stopped him.

 

“Well, I didn’t appreciate you going behind my back like that,” Harry spat back and turned to walk away.

 

“I didn’t go behind your back - you knew about it.” Jeff corrected, and Harry stopped in his tracks.

 

“And I said I didn’t like it.” He retorted coldly. He wished Molly had been around for that discussion, because she would have known what to say to Jeff to stop him from going through with this plan involving Daisy.

 

“You didn’t have any suggestions, so we went with mine.” Jeff shrugged, as if to say ‘case closed.’ “Get over it - this’ll buy you a lot of attention and get ‘Kiwi’ charting.”

 

Harry didn’t even have a response for that, and couldn’t believe these words were coming from his manager’s mouth, someone he’d known for years and spent countless hours with planning his solo career. Harry blinked a few times as he realized his only option. It was exactly as Molly said: the only way to fix this, was to end it. “You’re fired.”

 

“What?” Jeff took a step closer, though Harry was sure he’d heard him.

 

“You’re fired. I can’t have someone like you messing up my career any more.” Harry took a deep breath to steady his nerves and tried to sound confident.

 

“We have a contract, there will be consequences.” Jeff reprimanded, but he didn’t take Harry seriously.

 

“This is a breach of contract. Yeah, I actually read it,” Harry added sarcastically when Jeff gave him a doubting look. “This is a breach of Daisy’s contract as well - or did you already forget you signed her?”

 

Jeff’s smug smiled wavered at the mention of Daisy, and Harry wondered if Jeff really had forgotten about that. “Yes, she’s my client, I’m getting her some publicity-”

 

“No, you’re ruining her career, just like you nearly ruined mine,” Harry shot back, and Jeff flinched at his harsh words. “You cannot promote one client at the expense of another without their permission. It’s stated quite clearly on page six, and I’m sure Daisy has a similar clause in her contract.”

 

“You’ve already been in contact with a lawyer.” Jeff nodded and knew he’d better call his lawyers too.

 

“Of course I have, this is practically libel!” Harry took another step toward Jeff so he wouldn’t have to shout this.

 

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” Jeff stated more than asked, and crossed his arms. 

 

“No, we can settle this out of court easily. I’ll have my lawyers talk to your lawyers and we’ll get it all sorted out.”

 

Jeff smiled to himself and shook his head.“Did Molly put you up to this? That girl has you so whipped-”

 

“Don’t talk about Molly like that,” Harry growled between his teeth. “I’ve put up with a lot from you, but I will not tolerate this.” Harry turned and left Jeff balking in the hallway before he could say anything else. As Harry left Jeff he got an idea and hoped his band was still around.

  
“Hey, just the people I wanted to see!” He smiled brightly at his band when he found them hanging out and having a drink together. “I have one more song I’d like to play at an upcoming show. Maybe not at the next show, but soon. I hope that’s not too much of a bother?”

 

“Depends on the song, what is it?” Adam asked.

 

“It’s another One Direction song,” Harry smiled. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, I don’t know Mr. Jeffrey Azoff, nor do I know much about him, so my portrayal of him in this story is a fictionalization (as is all other non-original characters.) Someone had to be the bad guy (sorry Jeff!). I’ve been wanting to write Harry telling Jeff off for a long time, so that was fun xD


	34. Chapter 34

When he returned to his hotel room, alone, Harry was still trembling from his encounter with Jeff. He couldn’t believe he had just fired his manager - just like that! He poured himself a drink to calm his nerves and slowly slid down to the floor. He took a deep breath before pulling out his phone and calling Molly.

 

“Come on, please pick up!” He said to himself as the call reached the third or fourth ring. He hung up when he got her voicemail, and dropped his phone. 

 

_ *Please call me, I need to talk to you _

 

He texted, and tossed his phone on the bed before hopping in the shower. He tried to relax, but even the shower made him feel on edge. He knew Molly was likely out with her friends, and probably couldn’t hear her phone ringing. But of all nights for her to leave him to his own devices, he needed her now more than ever.  

 

He eagerly checked his phone when he exited the shower, and pretended not to be disappointed when he didn’t see anything from Molly. He had many other new texts - from Jeff, and other members of his team asking him what the fuck was going on - but he ignored those. He needed to talk to Molly; he needed her reassurance that he’d done the right thing, and for her to tell him what to do next. She must have some idea of what to do, since she was the one who wanted him to fire Jeff. 

 

Harry poured himself another drink and paced the room for a bit, before deciding to call his sister. Gemma and Molly were kind of like friends, right? He thought so, and hoped Molly had said something to Gemma. 

 

As the phone rang, he realized not only how unlikely that was, but also how late (or early) it was in London. She probably had her phone in silent, and it went voicemail, just like Molly’s. He figured he’d give Molly another call just in case she didn’t see his texts or previous calls.

 

Shockingly, the ringing stopped, and someone picked up the phone. There was a bit of background noise, and Harry wondered if Molly had accidentally answered her phone in her pocket or something.

 

“It says ‘Harry’, who do you think that is?- oh shit, I think we accidentally answered it?” A girl said in a muffled, distance, voice.

 

“Maybe it’s that mysterious boyfriend she keeps ignoring each time we ask her about him?” A second muffled voice answered, and they both giggled. “Molly! We accidentally answered your phone!”

 

“Lilly, she can’t hear you,” the first voice replied. “Let’s talk to him,” she whispered to her friend, unaware Harry could hear her, and the friend eagerly agreed. “Who is this?” She said into the phone, and Harry froze. These were possibly Molly’s friends - the ones who had gone to his concert that night - and it’s likely they would recognize him on the phone.

 

“Is this Harry?” The other girl asked when he didn’t say anything.

 

Harry cleared his throat and put on his best American accent. “Yeah.”

 

The girls both giggled, and one of them said “he sounds hot.”

 

“Shut up, Alexa, this is Molly’s boyfriend,” Lilly reprimanded her friend. “You’re Molly’s boyfriend, right?”

 

Harry paused. “Last I checked, I was.”

 

The girls giggled again, and Lilly ‘whispered’ to Alexa, “yeah, no, you’re right: he does sound hot.”

 

“He also sounds American, or am I drunk? I thought Molly said he was British?” Lilly pondered, and Harry cursed to himself. So he was supposed to sound British, but not like Harry Styles?

 

“She said he lived in London, but maybe he’s not British?” Alexa added, and Harry’s heart rate slowed down. “And also, yes - you are drunk.” The girls both laughed at this, and seemed to forget Harry was on the phone until he spoke up.

 

“Can you tell Molly I called?” He asked - partially keeping the American accent up. “And tell her it’s important.” 

 

“Oh, um, yeah,” Lilly sounded a bit more serious, and she whispered something to Alexa.

 

“Thank you. Nice, uh, chatting with you.” Harry shook his head and hung up before he heard their reply. ‘Chatting’ was not an American term, right? He dropped his phone and hoped Alexa and Lilly would tell Molly he’d called, but he had a feeling they might forget that conversation had ever happened. 

 

While he waited for his phone to ring, he poured himself yet another drink and sat down to watch some Netflix. He had ‘Love Actually’ saved to his list, and was suddenly reminded of the time Molly had heard a fan joking that Harry was like Billy Mack. As he watched the movie, he slowly realized that maybe he was a bit like the fictional, washed up rock star, who seemed to be platonically in love with his manager. 

 

Or at least he would have been if Molly hadn’t come along.  _ ‘A washed-up rockstar at the prime age of 23’ _ Harry thought to himself.  _ ‘That’s an achievement’ _ he added sarcastically. 

 

“I need a new manager,” he said to himself, and jumped when his phone started buzzing on the table next to him. “Hello?” He grabbed it and answered before looking to see who was calling.

 

“Even my phone, misses your call,” she paused. “Hi Harry. I saw I missed your call.”

 

“Molly you don’t know how good it is to hear your voice.” He relaxed and leaned back against the pillows.

 

“My friends said you called?”

 

“Yes, I need to talk to you. I did it, just as you said, I’ve ended it.” Harry explained, his brain going faster than his mouth.

 

“Okay, well, I have to go now, but I’ll see you.”

 

“Wait - when? I need to talk to you, it’s very important.” Harry added quickly to keep her from hanging up.

 

Molly sighed. “I don’t know, I’m going to see my mom tomorrow, to see how she’s doing with her new job. I’ll let you know.”

 

“Okay,” he didn’t know what else to say.

 

“Goodnight, Harry,” she said, and he heard her friends in the background saying something like ‘oohhh is that him?’ 

 

“Goodnight, I miss you,” he replied, but the line was dead. 

 

“Molly, come on let’s go!” Her friends dragged her out the door. “We’re going to meet up with a couple other people.”

 

Molly hung up abruptly as they jerked her arm, and she heard Harry start to say ‘goodnight’ but didn’t catch the rest. She wanted to talk to him longer, but she couldn’t really hear him because Alexa and Lilly dragged her into a club. She would call him in the morning when her head was more clear and things made a little more sense.

 

Yet, when morning rolled around, her head was still spinning and she dragged herself out of bed to get lunch with her mother without a second thought of last night. There wasn’t much on her mind between the alternating thoughts of ‘need coffee’ and ‘don’t vomit’. 

 

After getting some coffee and eating something, she was finally able to focus on what her mom was telling her about her new career.

 

“I just sold the loveliest house to a couple just outside the city - you would have loved it. The kitchen was absolutely to die for. I bet Harry has a lovely house; or, houses, probably,” her mom paused to let Molly respond.

 

“Mm-hmm.” Molly answered affirmatively with minimal effort. 

 

“What’s wrong? You don’t look that great,” Deborah leaned forward and placed a hand on Molly’s forehead to see if she was warm.

 

“I’m not feeling well,” Molly answered, and closed her eyes, but that only made the spinning worse. “Um, actually, I’m-” she stopped short, and ran off to the bathroom. She felt too sick to be embarrassed about throwing up in a public bathroom on a weekday morning. Once she’d gotten cleaned up and collected her thoughts, she returned to their table to find her mom eyeing her.

 

“Molly…” she said. “You’re not…” She didn’t have to say it - the look on her face said it all.

 

“No, mom,” Molly rolled her eyes. “I had a bit of a wild night with the girls, that’s all.” 

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yes.” Their food arrived, and Molly was glad that her mom dropped the subject for a moment.

 

“That’s good, because it would be awkward, considering the rumors going around about Harry and that girl, Daisy.” Deborah continued.

 

“They’re not true,” Molly said.

 

“Well, if it was, and you really were, you know,  _ knocked up, _ ” Deb added in a loud whispered, and Molly interrupted her.  

 

“But I’m not, so let’s not worry about it,” Molly said exasperatedly. “I just had a bit too much to drink last night, and now I’m paying for it, that’s all.”

 

“Any particular reason why? I noticed you’re not wearing that ring he gave you,” Deb pointed out.

 

“I was just having a good time with the girls, that’s all.” Molly took another bite and hoped she’d change the subject, but her mom sat patiently waiting for the rest of it. “And, yeah, I guess I was a little upset about how the situation with Daisy was handled. They didn’t need to do that, and it’s probably hurt both of them more than it’s helped.”

 

“I was certainly surprised when I heard about it, and many people did seem to have a negative reaction to the news. But, I think people are changing their minds now that he’s fired that manager of his,” Deborah commented, and Molly dropped her fork. 

 

“He did what now?” She asked in a low tone.

 

“He fired his manager after the show last night. You didn’t know this?” Deb was surprised.

 

“I was busy…” Molly’s head was swimming, and she realized she might have heard Harry say something last night about having ‘ended it’ but she didn’t realize what he was talking about at the time. “I have to go,” she stood up suddenly.

 

“Are you not feeling well still?” Her mom asked. “The best trick for a hangover is-”

 

“No, I have to get to the airport he has a show tonight in Boston.” Molly interrupted and grabbed her phone to make travel arrangements. “Thank you so much for lunch, and...everything else.”

 

“Oh, okay?” Debora seemed confused, but didn’t question her daughter as she rushed to gather all her things and gave her a hug goodbye.

 

Molly quickly packed all her things and checked out of the hotel before rushing to the airport. There was a flight to Boston soon, and she might catch it if traffic was in her favor. As she waited, she caught up on all the news on Harry she’d missed in the last 12 hours or so. How had so much happened without her noticing? Mostly, she was shocked, but impressed, that he had gone through with it. He had stood up to Jeff on his own, and fired him. 

 

As Molly boarded her plane, she wondered if Harry had a new manager lined up to replace him. She had a small heart attack when she feared Harry thought she could replace him, since she’d joked about it a few times, but it was just that - a joke. He would need someone experienced and tough enough to stand up to whatever the Azoffs threw at him now that Harry had cut ties with them.

 

Molly spent the plane ride worrying about this and was on her phone making calls as soon as they landed in Boston. Harry was not answering his phone, but his show as about to start, so it was possible he’d left it in his dressing room. She tried calling anyone else on his team, but she didn’t have many of their numbers. 

 

“Rupert!” She said as Harry’s stylist answered his phone. “This is Molly, how are you?”

 

“I’m fine, yourself?” He asked.

 

“I’m okay. Is Harry around?” 

 

“He’s just walked on stage, sorry.”

 

“Okay, I figured as much. I’m running late to the show, but I’ll be there. Can you let me in when I get there, so I can watch from backstage?” Molly asked, and Rupert agreed. She hung up and tried to fix her hair and makeup, but the cab ride was a bit bumpy. She hoped she’d given the driver the correct theater, but at this point she knew Harry’s tour by heart. 

 

“This is it, miss; Wang Theatre.” The driver announced when they stopped, and Molly paid her fare.

 

“Thank you,” she quickly left and texted Rupert. He met her around the back of the theater and led her back stage.

 

“I’m glad you could make it before the show ended,” he said quietly.

 

“Me too. Did you get a chance to tell him I was here?” She asked.

 

“No, he’s a bit busy,” he shrugged and smiled. “But I think he’ll be happy to see you standing just off stage again.Things have been a little crazy since last night.”

 

“Oh, I bet it has been!” Molly took her spot on the side of the stage and stood just out of sight from the audience - where she and Jeff usually watched from.

 

Except now, it was just her. It was odd, and she felt very alone all of a sudden. Harry was over halfway through his show, he was almost finished, actually, and Molly thought there were only a few songs left on his setlist.

 

Harry completed ‘Just a Little Bit of Your Heart’ and turned around to put his guitar down, when he saw Molly just off stage. His eyes lit up when they met with hers, and she waved to him. He discreetly smiled back and stood staring for probably a moment too long. He turned to his band and said something. They all nodded, and got ready for the next song.

 

He glanced back at her quickly before he started playing, and he looked nervous. Molly wondered if he was going to play ‘If I Could Fly’ again like he did at the last show, or if he was going back to playing ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. But as they played the intro to the song, Molly didn’t recognize it - until he sang the first few lines.

 

“My hands, your hands, tied up, like two ships,” he started, and Molly instantly recognized he was singing ‘Strong’. The audience went wild when they made this realization, but Molly barely noticed them. Even though he wasn’t facing her, it felt like Harry was singing this song directly to her, just the two of them. 

 

When it got to the quieter part of the song, the verse Niall typically sang, Harry tilted his head and glanced off stage for a second before he sang the next lines:

 

“I’m sorry if I said I need you, but I don’t care, I’m not scared of love. Cause when I’m not with you I’m weaker, is that so wrong, is it so wrong, that you make me strong?”

 

His voice quivered a bit, and he glanced back at Molly one last time as he finished up the verse. The last few songs seemed to fly by as Molly waited for him to come off stage. She knew what he was trying to tell her with that song, and was impatient to give him her response. 

 

Harry finally finished ‘Sign of the Times’ and waved to the audience before exiting the stage, right into Molly’s waiting arms off stage. She hugged him tightly and gave him a quick kiss before pulling away and looking him in the eye.

 

“Harry I need to talk to you about Jeff.” She said quickly.

 

“Yes, I missed you too,” he joked as they walked hand in hand to his dressing room.

 

“It’s been about a day, Harry, let’s be realistic.” Molly response before continuing. “But I need to know: Did you actually fire Jeff because of what I told you at the airport?” Molly shut the door behind them so they wouldn’t be overheard or disturbed.

 

“You mean when you handed me this ring,” Harry pulled her rose ring out of his pocket and held it up. “And said, ‘the only way to fix it, is to end it’?”

 

Molly looked up at him with big, curious, eyes, and for a second Harry thought she looked...scared?

 

“Yes,” she said softly.

 

“I thought about that line over and over, trying to figure out what you meant. Because at first, I thought you were breaking up with me.” Harry paused for a moment. “But I couldn’t see how that would fix this issue with Daisy and the rumors that I’d gotten her pregnant.” He stopped again, but Molly waited for him to finish collecting his thoughts. “I realized you were giving me space to do it on my own, allowing me to make that decision.” 

 

Molly nodded. He was mostly right, but she also just needed that space to think and look at this objectively. In the end it had worked out better than she’d hoped, though there was still the issue of Jeff’s replacement, but they could worry about that later. 

 

_ ‘One thing at a time’ _ Molly thought as she again enveloped herself in Harry’s arms, and let him slide that rose ring back onto her right hand. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got around to writing this chapter! I’ve kind of been working up to this point for a bit now, and it felt a little anticlimactic to write, so hopefully it doesn’t come off that way when reading it. I feel like it ends abruptly, but it was getting long and I couldn’t think of anything else.


	35. Chapter 35

Molly and Harry spent the day in Boston together before flying to the next stop on his tour in Washington DC. The leaves were turning, and it was a beautiful fall day.

 

On the plane to DC, Molly curled up next to Harry once he’d finished talking with someone on his team about replacing Jeff. Things were stressful among Harry’s team as they rushed to find a replacement -but the right person, this time- so Molly thought Harry could use a little distraction. 

 

“You know Harry, I do love the song ‘Strong’ but I have to point out one thing,” Molly started with a cheeky smirk on her lips. “The line ‘when I’m not with you I’m weaker’... I wasn’t with you when you fired Jeff, though?”

 

“You were with me, in here.” Harry indicated the general location of his heart and smiled. “I just meant, you make me strong, that’s all. Don’t look into it so literally - I thought I was the one who was supposed to take things too seriously?” He teased.

 

“I know, I’m just messing with you,” she playfully returned. She hoped it didn’t show, but Molly was actually quite relieved to hear that. The line ‘I’m not afraid of love’ stood out to her, and she hoped that hadn’t been Harry’s way of telling her he loved her - because then she’d look like an ass for not saying it back, or at least addressing that fact. She didn’t think they were ready for that, but she never knew with Harry -he was good at surprising her. But if he said not to look into it so literally, then she was happy to leave it at that. 

 

His next few shows went as planned - no more surprise One Direction songs with hidden meanings for his girlfriend. Harry did not address the fact that he’d fired his manager, and stuck to business as usual, just hoping to get through each concert without showing the turmoil behind the scenes. His team narrowed down the candidates to two people and just had to do some final interviews before a new manager was chosen, but the choice was ultimately Harry’s.

 

His next show was not for a few days, so they flew to New York to meet with the candidates. Harry listened to all the advice his team gave him, and he and Molly did their own research on their own. After he met with both of them, he was sure of which candidate he wanted to hire for his next manager.

 

“ _ That’s _ going to be your next manager?” Molly was surprised. She hadn’t seen any of the candidates they researched and her jaw dropped when she finally saw a picture of her. “She’s quite pretty.”

 

“Is she?” Harry shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, really; Jocelyn is one of the best in the business, and we’re lucky she’s taken me on with such short notice.”

 

“Well, you’re Harry Styles, why wouldn’t she want you?” Molly seemed a bit baffled at this.

 

“Actually, that’s the thing - she didn’t care about that. She’s all business, and that’s what I need.”

 

“Yeah,” Molly agreed, and stared back at the picture.  _ Did she really have to be so pretty, though _ ? “When do we meet her?”

 

“I’ve already met her, of course,” Harry smiled teasingly. “But, I’m sure you’ll meet her soon enough.” 

 

Molly felt a bit uneasy as she waited for Harry to return from his show in Atlanta. She somehow felt Jocelyn was now her competition; not because she was attractive, tall, and thin, but because, with a competent manager, Harry may not need her input as much. Perhaps Molly’s role as ‘manager/girlfriend’ would shift to just ‘girlfriend’.

 

But that’s normal. Most girls aren’t trying to manage their boyfriend’s careers (well, not in the sense she was, at least). She might have to try a little harder now to do ‘girlfriend’ things, whatever that meant. Romance was never really Molly’s strong point, but like everything else, she’d try her best and hope it was enough.

 

Harry had talked with his new manager several times via phone, but they were planning on having a meeting with his team before his next show in Dallas. Molly didn’t think twice about attending this meeting because she always did stuff like this with Harry. Yet, as she entered the room with Harry (a bit late, as usual), and saw his team and new manager sitting around a conference table, she had never felt more out of place. 

 

Harry seemed calm and didn’t sense any of Molly’s tension as Jocelyn introduced herself to everyone and addressed a few people she’d met before

 

“I’m sorry, but who is this?” Jocelyn stopped and looked directly at Molly, and Molly’s mouth fell open.

 

“This is my girlfriend.” Harry answered.

 

“And what is she doing here?” She looked back at Harry.

 

“She’s here because I want her to be.” He replied, a bit more sternly.

 

“I’ve never had a client bring their girlfriend or boyfriend to a strategy meeting.” His new manager raised her eyebrows. Her alert eyes looked around, and when no one made a notion to ask Molly to leave, she shrugged. “Okay, if that’s how you want it.”

 

“It is, actually.” Harry nearly growled. Harry trusted Molly, because while everyone else on his team had looked the other way while his previous manager made poor decision after another and sent Harry’s career into a downward spiral, Molly - simply a former fan - had the nerve to speak up and do something about it. He knew she would always have his back, but was willing to tell him when he was wrong and smack him around when needed (metaphorically smack, of course). 

 

“Right, well, let’s get down to business,” Jocelyn started and dove into her first task. 

 

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, though Molly could have sworn she felt Jocelyn’s watchful eyes on her as she and Harry left. Molly didn’t want to bother Harry with this, so she kept it to herself. After all, from Jocelyn’s perspective, Molly probably looked like the overbearing and controlling girlfriend, so Jocelyn was probably just looking out for her client. 

 

Yet that night, as Molly stood by the edge of the stage during his show in Dallas -just out of sight of the audience- in her usual spot, she was joined by someone. Molly didn’t even have to look to know it was Jocelyn, because she oddly stood exactly where Jeff had in previous shows.

 

“He really knows how to work the audience, doesn’t he?” Jocelyn commented as they watched Harry -much to the crowd’s amusement- try out a Texas accent.

 

“Yes, I’d say it’s one of his strong points. I think he feeds off their energy, you know?” Molly nervously responded.

 

Jocelyn nodded in agreement, and it was quiet while the two watched Harry. After the next song, she suddenly turned to Molly and looked her in the eye. Molly was surprised and swallowed hard as she waited for whatever Jocelyn had to say.

 

“So you and Harry have been together since April?” She asked, and Molly nodded with a polite smile. “Yet, you didn’t meet Jeff or his team until July?”

 

“Around then, yeah,” Molly explained. “Why does it matter?”

 

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Harry’s team,” she started, and Molly couldn’t discern from her tone if she was about to get a verbal lashing or a compliment (if Jocelyn knew how to compliment people). 

 

“Oh?” Molly sounded worried, but tried to look calm.

 

“Yeah. They say you really turned things around for Harry, and spoke up to Jeff when no one else would.” Suddenly Jocelyn’s thin lips formed what looked like a smile. “I’m pleased to know Harry’s picked a girl for her brains rather than her looks.”

 

“Thank you,” Molly smiled shyly. She didn’t think Jocelyn had meant to insult her appearance, but meant it as a compliment.

 

“Now, I don’t have time to watch the rest of his show,” Jocelyn pulled out her phone to check the time, “because believe it or not, I have other clients and I can’t just follow Harry around wherever he goes.” Molly detected a bit of sarcasm in her tone, and thought perhaps Harry’s new manager felt the same way about Jeff as Molly had. “So, I’m going to need you to continue doing what you were doing and keep an eye on him for me. Sound good?”

 

Molly nodded. “I can handle that.”

 

Jocelyn nodded and they parted ways, leaving Molly feeling pleasantly confidant. She could continue her role as ‘manager/girlfriend’ after all, and Jocelyn was perhaps not as intimidating as she had initially thought. 

 

Harry and Molly headed to Austin the next day for one of Harry’s last shows on the North American leg of his tour. They were both looking forward to the short break before the European leg, and planned to go to London in a few days to start acclimating to the time change. Yet when they woke up the next morning, they were yet again met with some disturbing headlines in the entertainment news.

 

Back in Chicago, Daisy waited out the rabid accusations that she was carrying Harry’s illegitimate child. Just as Harry had, she fired Jeff, but took it one step further: she sued him for breach of contract and libel. Harry and his team had decided not to pursue legal action against Jeff, but promised to assist Daisy in any way she needed, as a form of reparations to the damage caused by the rumors. 

 

While Harry’s lawyers worked on the case against Jeff. Daisy and her new manager set about establishing the truth and getting her career back on track. This unfortunately included distancing herself from Harry, at least publicly, and reestablishing herself as a solo artist - not as ‘the girl who had a few duets with Harry Styles.’

 

Instead of laying low until after she had the baby, Daisy decided to make the best of the situation and use the publicity in her favor. She and Harry’s team tried to track down the father of her child (Conor, if she remembered correctly) and be as honest about the situation as possible. After having countless reporters and various publications (mostly tabloids) reach out to her for a statement, she finally agreed to speak to one of them.

 

The magazine she planned to meet with was popular in the LGBT community, and she hoped they would understand her situation and portray it accurately. She met with the journalist, a young woman about her age, at a local cafe during off hours - so it wasn’t too busy.

 

“Lydia, nice to meet you,” the reporter introduced herself, and the two settled into their table in a quiet corner. The two chatted for a bit and Lydia asked some generic questions before jumping into the issue at hand: “So tell me, how does a lesbian such as yourself accidentally end up pregnant?”

 

Daisy knew this question was coming and had prepared for it, and she figured it was best to get it over with. “Well, at the time of, um, conception, my girlfriend and I were taking a bit of a break.”

 

“A break?” Lydia wrote down her answers and waited for Daisy to continue.

 

“Yes, like many couples, we had a bit of a fight and decided we needed some space to get some perspective.” Daisy tried to answer as calmly as possible.

 

“So, to get perspective, you slept with a random guy and got pregnant?” Lydia asked with a look in her eye Daisy didn’t appreciate.

 

“We hooked up, it was a one night stand - something a lot of young people do. I didn’t really think about it too much at the time.” She answered carefully, trying to sound casual.

 

“So, you’re not a lesbian, you’re bisexual?” The reporter clarified.

 

“Yes, I guess if I had to put a label on it, that would be the right term.”

 

“Then, why did you say in an interview with Harry Styles, that you were a lesbian?”

 

Now Daisy’s blood was starting to boil; she had specifically stated that she would not answer questions about Harry. The reporter clearly could have worded her question differently to avoid using his name, but of course she had to throw it in their to get some attention for this article. “Well,” Daisy started. “I actually said I was gay. At the time of the interview in question, I was in a committed, monogamous relationship with a woman, and I felt that qualified me as being ‘gay’.”

 

“Why did you feel the need to say that during that particular interview? If I recall, you weren’t asked about your sexual orientation.” Lydia checked her notes to double check.

 

Daisy took a deep breath to calm down, but it did not help. “Well, to be honest, I was so tired of people assuming I was sleeping with Harry because it was so far from the truth. I wanted to dispel those rumors once and for all because I was uncomfortable with that. My girlfriend was getting fed up with it, and I’m sure Harry’s girlfriend didn’t like hearing about it either!”

 

Daisy froze as she realized the words that had come out of her mouth. She tried to remain calm, and look like it wasn’t a big deal that she’d just mentioned Harry Styles’ girlfriend, but the reporter caught on quickly.

 

“I’m sorry, his girlfriend? I wasn’t aware he had one; do you know her personally? Is it a serious relationship?” Lydia asked quickly, well aware that she had caught a juicy bit of gossip.

 

“I just meant, if he had one, I’m sure she would also be upset.” Daisy shrugged, as if it was no big deal, but inside her heart was racing. As unhappy she was with Harry for this unwanted attention, she didn’t want to drag Molly into the public eye. “We were not that close, I wouldn’t know if he had a girlfriend or not.”

 

Lydia nodded and wrote this down quickly. “Mm-hm…” It was clear Lydia didn’t believe this, and Daisy knew nothing she could say would change her mind, and if she tried to argue the point further, it would only look suspicious. She sighed and accepted this, wrapping up the interview quickly.

 

As she feared, the next morning her interview was published, and as expected, it was all about Harry Styles’ supposed girlfriend.

 

**“Harry Styles’ Baby Mama Hints at his Secret Girlfriend. How Does She Feel About His Illegitimate Child?”**

 

**“Has Womanizer Harry Styles Finally Found a Serious Girlfriend?”**

 

**“Who is Harry’s Mystery Woman?”**

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know why, but the name ‘Jocelyn’ stood out to me for Harry’s new manager (she’s completely fictional, btw).


	36. Chapter 36

“I don’t want to be seen with you,” Molly said with a low voice, and froze just as she and Harry were about to leave their hotel room. 

 

“It’s okay, we’re going out the back door, as usual.” Harry gently placed his hand on her elbow to guide her out the door.

 

“No, I’ll wait and leave another way,” she shook her head and looked up at him with big eyes.

 

Harry felt a pang in his heart when he saw the fear in her eyes and simply nodded. “I’ll let the driver know to come back and pick you up.”

 

“I’ll take a cab, and fly back to LA on my own, or maybe back to New York to stay with my mom for a while until this blows over.” Molly replied with a shaky voice.

 

“Molls, that’s really not necessary. We’ll be careful; there’s really nothing to worry about.” Harry tried to sound reassuring.

 

“We’ve  _ been  _ careful, Harry, but that won’t be enough now. Your fans are on high alert since Daisy accidentally let it slip you had a girlfriend - and I know none of them believe her explanation trying to retract that statement.” Molly sighed. “As we speak, they are probably going back through months of picture trying to find a glimpse of who this mystery girl might be. We  _ have _ been seen together, but tried to plant the idea that I was just Gemma’s friend. However, I know they’re going to see right through that now that they’re on a witch hunt for your girlfriend.”

 

Harry contemplated this for a moment, and finally managed a laugh. “A witch hunt? Well, I don’t think they’ll find any witches here,” he drew her into a half hug and smiled teasingly, but Molly couldn’t return his smile. “Okay, I do see your point. I’ll do the last show in Phoenix tonight and meet you in New York; we have a bit of a break before the European leg of the tour, so we can figure something out then okay?”

 

Molly nodded and lifted her head to face him. “I will try to think of something in the meantime. Until then,” she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Have a nice show tonight, and don’t mention the girlfriend rumors - don’t even try to make a joke about it!”

 

“Yes ma’am,” Harry joked, and kissed her goodbye.

 

Harry pondered what kind of a plan Molly might come up with. He had a few ideas himself, but he knew she understood his fan’s minds far better than he did. Harry’s first instinct when he saw the headlines were to play into them and go along with it. He knew Jeff would have set him up with someone to be seen with that morning, since Jeff strongly believed the philosophy that ‘any press is good press.’ Harry knew Molly would have advised against that course of action, and thought she would have suggested they ignore it. By not addressing the rumors, they would be taking the high road and not encouraging it further.

 

Harry tried to keep these thoughts out of his mind that night during his show, but it was hard considering the screaming fans asking who his mystery woman was. He tried to ignore them and carry on, but the audience was particularly belligerent tonight. Harry thought perhaps a joke would lighten the mood, something like ‘the only woman in my life right now is my mother’. But Molly had advised him against that, and he trusted her judgment, so he stuck to his usual repertoire of jokes.

 

As Harry left the stage that night he was met with the stern eyes of his manager, and he felt like he was in trouble for some reason.

 

“I thought I asked that girlfriend of yours to keep an eye on you,” Jocelyn started without any kind of greeting.

 

“Well, she’s a bit scared, I think, of people finding out the rumors are true,” Harry explained to his manager as he walked to his dressing room.

 

“Yes, I was just joking,” Jocelyn answered, and Harry nodded - not realizing his new manager had known how to ‘joke.’ “I don’t blame her for wanting to lay low - your fans seem quite avid to find out who this ‘girlfriend’ is.”

 

“Yes, they can be a little...over enthusiastic at times.” Harry paused now that they had reached his dressing room.

 

“We need to figure out the best way to deal with this, and soon,” Jocelyn instructed, and opened the door to his dressing room for him, and followed him in so they could discuss in private.

 

Molly woke up to the smell of pancakes, and wondered if her mother had remembered how to cook after all these years. Yet when she entered the kitchen she found a man standing in front of the stove wearing what must have been her mother’s robe.

 

“Hi?” She stopped, and he turned to look at her.

 

“Hey, I didn’t realize Debbie had a roommate,” he nodded, and returned to the pancakes.

 

“Umm,” Molly turned and shouted down the hallway. “Mom, who’s this weird guy in the kitchen?”

 

She heard the man drop his spatula and mutter something under his breath before rushing back to the room to get dressed. “You didn’t tell me you had kids!” 

 

“You didn’t ask!” Deb answered, and suddenly appeared wearing the robe he had just been wearing. “Hey, honey.” She kissed Molly on the cheek. “I hope we didn’t keep you up last night.”

 

“No, you must have gotten in pretty late; I was already asleep.” Molly shrugged and flipped over a few pancakes on the stove before they started to burn.

 

The mystery pancake man rushed out the door, but not before Deb yelled “Call me!” 

 

“Not likely,” he shouted back, and Deb just laughed.

 

“Sorry?” Molly apologized, but felt very awkward about the entire situation.

 

“Don’t worry about it, he’s just….one of many,” Deb answered slyly.

 

“Okay, we can leave it at that.” Molly turned back to the stove and flipped the remaining pancakes onto a plate.

 

“So, tell me,” Deb started once they sat at the table. “What’s going on with Harry? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”

 

“There’s nothing wrong, really,” Molly took a bite, and was surprised how good the pancakes were. “These are delicious; I hope you have that guy’s number.”

 

“So, about Harry?” Deb asked again.

 

“You haven’t heard? Daisy accidentally said something about him having a girlfriend. She tired to fix it, but now the fandom is going crazy trying to figure out who it is.”

 

“I see, so you’re hiding out until this blows over.”

 

“Yeah, or until we can find a way to fix this. I’m not sure it’ll ever blow over - not completely. Some of the more...persistent fans don’t know how to give up. They will be on the lookout, scoping out every girl he’s been seen with to determine if she’s this mystery woman. Who knows how many people have actually seen us together - hotel and airport employees, someone at one of his shows - one of them could have a picture of us, or might let it slip who he’s dating. I don’t, I can’t,” Molly paused and shook her head. “I don’t want that.”

 

“Well, looks like you may not have to worry about that anymore.” Deb had looked up Daisy’s interview on her phone, but found something much more interesting, and slid her phone across the table for Molly to look at.

 

**‘Harry Styles Seen Entering His Dressing Room With Manager’**

 

**‘Is Harry Styles’ Mystery Woman His New Manager?’**

 

At first Molly was shocked, but she had to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. “This is preposterous!” She scrolled down to see a blurry picture taken backstage of the two as Jocelyn held the door open for him to his dressing room. She could easily recognize Jocelyn, and some fan or whomever had correctly identified her as Harry’s new manager. “How did they even get this picture?” Molly knew that anything behind the scenes was usually considered ‘safe’ since most people who had access to these areas had signed some kind of NDA.

 

“An employee of the theater, maybe?” Deb suggested.

 

“Must of been, since no one on Harry’s team would have done that.” Molly paused, as she thought over this statement again. The only change to his team was Jocelyn, and surely she wouldn’t have done, right? Throw herself under the bus, to save Molly the scrutiny of his fans? That’s absurd, right?

 

“She’s certainly attractive,” Deb commented once Molly returned her phone.

 

Molly snorted a laugh. “Really?” She asked sarcastically. 

 

After breakfast Molly made plans to meet up with Harry when he arrived in New York. She hoped Jocelyn, or someone on his team had a plan, because Molly was baffled by this new turn of events. 

 

“So, you and your manager were seen entering your dressing room after the show last night, eh?” Molly asked, and couldn’t help but smirk.

 

“We were just talking,” Harry defended.

 

“I know! Oh, I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything.” She smiled and sat down next to him. “I just think it’s funny.”

 

“Well, that makes one of us.” Harry answered grimmly. “She is furious, and I think she’s realizing how aggressive this fandom is.”

 

“I don’t blame her, but I admit I’m a little grateful, because now they’ll stop searching for your secret girlfriend.” 

 

“Yeah, about that actually…” Harry shifted uncomfortably and turned to face her. 

 

“What?” Molly tried to look him in the eye, but he wouldn’t meet her stare. “Oh, no no no no….she doesn’t want me to-” Molly stopped short as the air was sucked out of her lungs.

 

“Molly,” Harry said softly.

 

“No I can’t, I can’t Harry; I’d rather-” again she stopped short, but this time because she couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence. 

 

“Molly, it’s okay,” Harry placed his hand comfortingly on hers. “You don’t have to...whatever it was you were going to say.” He lowered his gaze and looked away, and Molly knew he realized what she’d been about to say.

 

She didn’t know what to say to that - how could she explain that she’d rather break up with him than face his fans and publicly acknowledge that she was dating him. “Harry, I…” She choked.

 

“It’s okay, I told Jocelyn I wouldn’t do that.” Harry finally looked up at her, and she looked away again. “I could never do that to you; you mean too much to me. I want to keep this between us, not between us and the entire world.” His eyes looked sad, but were laced with understanding. He certainly understood more than anyone (even a fan like Molly) the hidden costs that came with being his girlfriend.  

 

Molly nodded and quietly said “thank you” before falling into his arms. She knew she’d hurt his feelings - even though she didn’t actually say it (not completely) but it was still there - and had to make it up to him somehow. They had nearly ten days before his show in Paris, and Molly hoped to come up with something by then, while trying to figure out a solution to the issue of Harry’s ‘secret girlfriend’ - because ignoring it was not an option any more.

  
  
  
  
  



	37. Chapter 37

Molly sat in her mother’s apartment trying to think. She had been sitting at the table for a couple of hours now, and still had no idea how to fix this issue of the rumor about Harry’s ‘mysterious girlfriend’. Well, she had come up with a couple of ideas, but nothing she was willing to go through with.

 

There was what Molly called the ‘Jeff’ response: set Harry up with some random girl looking to get some free press (maybe a model) and let the fans go crazy with that, while Molly layed low and remained anonymous. 

 

Then, there was what was probably the easiest response: doing nothing and hoping it went away. Molly knew that probably wouldn't work. She’d been in the fandom when something like this had happened, and she knew they wouldn’t let this slip away so easily. Unless, they had some kind of distraction: if something bigger came up, they  _ might _ forget about the girlfriend. 

 

Lastly, there was the option Molly refused to entertain, and had possibly broken Harry’s heart by suggesting she’d rather leave him than do this: go public with their relationship. It was out of the question, for obvious reasons.

 

Molly also had the task of trying to fix Harry’s possibly broken heart, and prove that she was  _ not  _ actually going to break up with him over something like that. Romance was not Molly’s forte, and she racked her brain for any idea of how to make it up to him, but came up empty. 

 

“What’s on your mind, honey,” her mom asked and joined her at the table when she returned from work. Molly sighed and recounted her thought process from that afternoon and the two issues she was trying to fix. Perhaps saying it out loud would spark an idea, or maybe her mom would have some input.

 

Luckily, she did have an idea. “Well, I don’t know what to do about the first thing - and I’m sure Harry’s manager is hard at work trying to fix that one. But I have a few suggestions for the second one.”

 

“Really?” Molly asked, though she wasn’t too surprised.

 

“Yes,” Deb smiled and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. “I think you two need to have a romantic night. Go all out with candles, flowers, dinner - lingerie…” She added with a wink.

 

“Well, I don’t really have any of that,” Molly blushed and looked down at her hands.

 

“Then we need to go shopping,” Deb stood up and grabbed her purse. “Come on, the store is only open until 7.”

 

“It’s 4:30, mom, how long is this going to take?” Molly followed her mother out the door, and Deb just laughed at her daughter’s question. 

 

“Oh, honey, you are too much like your father sometimes.”

 

Deborah brought Molly to a fancy lingerie store, and was greeted - by name - by all the staff.

 

“Debbie, what can we do for you today?” A woman about her age approached them.

 

“I’m actually here for my daughter, this time,” Deb wrapped her arm around Molly’s shoulders. “She’s going to have her boyfriend over for the evening, and I want to make sure she shows him a good time.”

 

Molly’s cheeks turned every shade of red, and she could have sworn she even felt her scalp tingling as she blushed all the way up through her hairline. “Mom…” she groaned.

 

“No problem, we have just the thing.” The attendant smiled and turned to Molly. “What’s your size?”

  
  
  


Back at his hotel room, Harry awaited a call from his manager. They had spoken several times that day as she and his team worked to fix this PR issue. Molly’s words rang in his head every time Jocelyn mentioned the idea of him just telling the truth and going public.

 

“No, no, I told you I’m not doing that,” Harry repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. 

 

“No, you’re not listening, Harry. You don’t need to tell the world you have a girlfriend, or say anything about Molly.” Jocelyn sounded like her patience had run out hours ago and was not trying to hide the annoyance in her tone. “Just issue a statement - on twitter or whatever - that you would like some privacy.”

 

“Yeah, I just don’t think that’s going to be enough.” Harry skeptically answered.

 

“Well, it’s a start. I’ll let you know when we’ve come up with something better.” Jocelyn ended their call, and Harry headed to the shower to clear his head. Something about the warm water and the steam seemed to cleanse his mind and wash away some of his troubles - at least temporarily.

 

Harry was just sitting down to make himself a cup of tea when he got a text from Molly:

 

_ *meet me at my mom’s apartment at 7:30 for dinner _

 

Followed shortly by another text:

 

_ *and for a sleepover. And bring sexy clothes if you have any _

 

Molly grabbed her phone back from her mom. “Sexy clothes? Mom, really?”

 

_ *or whatever clothes you want _

 

Molly quickly texted back, and hid her phone from her mother. “Ughhh are you sure about this mom?”

 

“Yes, you just need to loosen up a bit. Here,” Deb grabbed one of the bottles of wine they’d purchased for the evening and poured Molly a glass. “Drink up. Go get changed, and I’ll get some candles out, okay?”

 

Molly trudged off to the guest bedroom and took the ‘clothes’ they’d bought that afteroon out of the bag.  _ ‘How do I put these on?’ _ She looked over the fancy bra, the corset-type thing her mom insisted on, and the garter belt and stockings the store attended promised her were sure to capture any man’s heart.

 

_ ‘I don’t need to capture it, though, I need to hold onto it, and keep it safe’. _ Molly remembered the sad look in Harry’s puppy-dog eyes when she implied she’d rather break up with him than go public with their relationship, and this was all the encouragement she needed to strap herself into the black and red lacy contraption. 

 

When she finally emerged from the guest bedroom in her robe (she insisted she buy her own after seeing pancake man wearing her mom’s) Deb had decorated the house in candles, and placed the flowers they bought in a vase on the table. Molly looked around the apartment in amazement and felt like there really was, somehow, magic in the air.

 

“I’ve set out all the ingredients for dinner, I think if you follow the instructions it should be okay. I actually haven’t made it before, so I can’t say,” Deb shrugged. “I have to leave, but hopefully Harry will be here soon.”

 

“You’re leaving?” Molly felt confused, but of course her mom wasn’t going to stick around for this.

 

“Yes, I’m having my own, er, sleepover, elsewhere,” Deb winked, and Molly felt sick at the implications.

 

“Okay, well you don’t want to be late for that,” she ushered her mom toward the door. “And, um, thank you.” She glanced up at her mom before giving her a quick hug goodbye.

 

“Have fun tonight, honey, and don’t forget to use a condom” Deb hugged her back, before slipping out the door. 

 

Molly fell back onto the couch and refilled her glass of wine.  _ ‘When will Harry be here?’ _ She wondered and checked the time. He was only a little late, so Molly decided to get a start on dinner.

 

_ ‘This doesn’t look that hard’  _ she thought and read through the instructions.  _ ‘I’ll just get this started, and it’ll probably be ready by the time Harry gets here.’  _ Molly put a pot of water on the stove to boil while she started carefully mincing a few cloves of garlic.

 

_ ‘Oh, the recipe calls for white wine? Looks like I have to open another bottle of wine… _ ’ she thought, and wondered if her mom had intentionally opened a bottle of red for this exact reason. She measured out the needed amount, and the refilled her glass,  _ ‘more for me’,  _  she thought and sipped her wine while the garlic, butter, and wine cooked. She added what seemed like the right amount of pasta to the boiling water, and moved on to the shrimp.

 

“Frozen?” She looked at the shrimp in shock because she didn’t have time to let it thaw out. Molly shrugged, and figured she could just dump the whole bag in, and it would thaw out and cook. Molly added some salt and pepper, and sat back to wait for it to cook. “Actually, I should set a timer,” she hopped up and tried to figure out the timer on her mom’s stove, but was interrupted by the intercom buzzing.

 

“Harry’s here!” She skipped over to the door and buzzed him into the building, and quickly fixed her hair before waiting near the door for him. She opened the door before he barely had a chance to knock. “Harry! You’re late, but that’s okay.” She pulled him inside and gave him a kiss.

 

“Sorry, you said to bring ‘sexy clothes’ and I didn’t exactly know what that meant,” he answered with a sly smirk. 

 

“Ugh, that was my mom,” Molly rolled her eyes.

 

“Debbie, really?” Harry laughed.

 

“Wait, I have to do something,” Molly rushed over to her phone and pressed play, and suddenly ‘Still the One’ by Shania Twain started playing on the sound system. “I meant to do that before you came in, oops.”

 

“This is one of my favorite songs, thank you,” Harry kissed Molly’s cheek, and paused as he pulled away. “Umm, are you cooking something?”

 

“Oh shit, yes!” Molly rushed to the kitchen and turned down the pasta before it bubbled over. Harry grabbed a spoon and tried stirring it, but it had become a gooey glob on bottom of the pan. 

 

“Have you ever made pasta before?” He joked.

 

“Yes, of course,” Molly shrugged. “I just forgot about it; I thought I had set a timer. We can make more if we need to.”

 

“No, I think we might be able to salvage this,” Harry slowly broke up the strands of linguine. “What’s that burning smell?”

 

“Fuck, the shrimp!” Molly lifted the lid off the shrimp and a plume of smoke rose up out of the pan. Harry reached for the stove vent just in time to save the smoke alarm from going off, and turned down the temperature of the burner to keep them from burning further.

 

“Looks like you were trying to make shrimp scampi?” He deduced, and glanced at the bottle of white wine - now nearly empty. “But perhaps you got into the wine a bit too early?”

 

“My mom said I needed to relax and she poured me a glass, and then I had some more,” Molly gestured to the two open bottles. “And, then, some more…”

 

“Did it help, at least?”

 

Molly shrugged. “I guess, though I still feel a little on edge. I wanted tonight to be perfect, to show you I’m sticking with you, and I’m not going anywhere. You know, that you’re ‘still the one I dream of’,” Molly tried to smile as she quoted the song playing in the background, but she sighed and slumped her shoulders forward.”But now I’ve ruined it.” 

 

“It’s not ruined - it’s only dinner, after all, and I don’t think it’s that bad. The shrimp looks like it’s nearly done, so we just need to drain the pasta. Can you help me find a colander?” Molly smiled at his encouraging words, and the two searched the cabinets for a colander. 

 

Molly insisted Harry wait at the table while she finished up - since this last part shouldn’t be too hard. She managed to get their food on plates without anything going wrong, and joined Harry at the dining table. “It doesn’t look that bad,” she smiled, and grabbed her fork.

 

She and Harry slowly took their first bite, and after a few seconds Molly spit it out. “What is that?”

 

“Um,” Harry discreetly spit his food into hs napkin. “I think you forgot to take the shells off the shrimp.”

 

“Oh, shit, they were frozen, I didn’t even think about that…” Molly sighed in defeat and leaned on the table. The shrimp were either rubbery or burnt, and the pasta had a gluey texture to it. 

 

“Why don’t we just order some takeaway?” Harry smiled and pulled out his phone. “I think I know a great Chinese place around here.”

 

“Thank you, that sounds much better than this.” She brought their plates back to the kitchen and dumped their food in the trash. By the time she finished cleaning up all the pots and pans, their take out had arrived, and Molly eagerly joined Harry at the table again. “Oh my god, egg rolls? Thank you!” 

 

“I know it’s one of your favorites,” Harry smiled, and they dug in.

 

“I’m sorry I messed up dinner,” Molly finally said.

 

“That’s fine, I like this - with all the candles - just as much,” he smiled. “The night isn’t totally ruined just because you burnt some shrimp.”

 

“You’re right, dinner was only part of it.” Molly got a glint in her eye.

 

“Oh really? Is that what this robe is for?” Harry reached over to run his hand along the satin fabric.

 

“Yeah, my mom insisted. Well, this whole night was her idea, really,” Molly shrugged.

 

“It’s a lovely robe, but,” he slid closer to her and started to unfasten the ties. “I’d love to see what’s underneath.”

 

Molly’s breath hitched at his touch, and remembered the scandalous lingerie she’d let her mother talk her into buying. But that didn’t matter anymore, and she let Harry untie her robe. “Lace, huh?” He asked with a raspy voice, and eventually brought his eye up to meet hers.

 

“‘Give to me your leather, take from me my lace’,” Molly quoted the song Harry had sung with Stevie Nicks in the Troubadour that spring, and brought a smile to his face.

 

“Unfortunately I didn’t bring any leather - unless you want my belt.” Harry joked and whipped his belt off, jokingly snapping it before letting it fall to the ground. 

 

“No, I don’t want to do that,” Molly shook her head and laughed.

 

Harry got a dark glint in his eye. “You want me to take this off?” He reached forward and slowly ran a finger lazily along the hem of her garter belt, and let his hand slide along her waist.

 

“You don’t want to admire it first?” Molly stood up and slipped out of the robe, slowly spinning to reveal the whole outfit. 

 

“It does look absolutely entrancing on you, but you know where it would look better?” Harry lifted his head to look at her, but his eyes were still glued to the lacy bodice covering her midriff. 

 

“In the trash,” Molly joked with a short laugh. 

 

“I was thinking more like, the floor,” Harry answered slowly - slower than usual - and reached up her back to find the fasteners.

 

“Oh, like the bedroom floor?” Molly laughed, thinking of Liam’s single of the same title.

 

“Any floor would suffice, like, this one for example,” Harry let the corset/bodice type thing fall to the floor, exposing Molly’s soft abdominal skin, so he could run his hands over it.

 

“Right here, okay,” Molly answered breathlessly, and let Harry’s hands do whatever magic they pleased, and slowly -one by one- her new lace garments were removed, leaving a trail from the dining table to the couch. Molly reached down to remove the last item -her stockings- but Harry stopped her.

 

“Leave them,” he breathed, placing a hand on hers, and Molly caught a dark look in his eye. 

 

“Okay,” Molly smiled coyly and took in this new side of Harry she was seeing for the first time, learning his nuances and what makes him tick. For the first time that evening, she had finally -as her mother instructed- relaxed, and it certainly wasn’t the wine that had helped her ‘loosen up.’

 

Well past midnight, they were still lying on the couch together, cuddled in a mess of blankets. They had finally caught their breaths, and just sat in silence taking each other in.

 

“Should we,” Molly finally said, and propped herself up on her elbow so she could see Harry’s face, “search romantic comedies on Netflix, and see what we find?”

 

Harry’s face drew in a tired smile that reached all the way up to his eyes, and he nodded. “Yeah, something like that.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ‘Leather and Lace’ seems to be the song of the weekend for me, because I just wrote another chapter in my Harry/time travel short story which revolved around this song xD https://www.wattpad.com/526860608-not-your-average-harry-styles-one-shots-and-short
> 
> This was a fun chapter to write, and I was actually making shrimp scampi while wrote it, so that’s why I went into a bit more detail than necessary describing their dinner xD (and it turned out fine, unlike Molly’s :p)


	38. Chapter 38

Molly and Harry awoke on the couch in her mother’s apartment late the next morning feeling groggy and sore from sleeping on the couch entangled in each other’s arms. The sun cast short shadows as it neared midday, and the city outside was buzzing with the early lunch crowd. Molly tried to stretch and sit up, but Harry tightened his grip.

 

“Harry, wake up,” Molly shook him, and tried to get out of his grasp.

 

“I am awake,” he answered without opening his eyes.

 

“Then let go of me.” She tried to wiggle out of his arms and laughed at his stubbornness as he held on tight.

 

“I just want to lay here with you for awhile longer,” he finally sat up and looked at her. Harry leaned closer and trailed kisses up her neck and across her jaw before finally reaching her mouth. “Just let me love you goodbye.”

 

Molly laughed at Harry’s use of a One Direction song, but stopped. “Wait, goodbye?”

 

“The European leg of the tour starts soon, and I have to leave this afternoon.” He answered hesitantly, and paused for such a long time that Molly wondered if he had reached the end of his sentence.

 

“Right, we’re going to London for a few days to acclimate to the time change, before the show in Paris on the 25th…” Molly cocked her head and watched him closely, as Harry nearly flinched at the word ‘we’.

 

“Actually,” he finally said. “I’m going on my own.”

 

“What?” Molly instinctively leaned back, feeling a little hurt by his words, though it was clear Harry was having a difficult time saying them.

 

“Jocelyn...she’s brought in some new people to help my PR team. She hated that she had somehow been dragged into this ‘girlfriend rumor’ and wanted it taken care of as quickly as possible.” Harry took a deep breath before continuing. “So, since neither of us want to go public, the PR team has strongly advised we take extra precautions not to be seen together.”

 

“We can do that. I’ll just stay in the hotel, and we can even travel separately if that’s what it takes.”

 

“It’s a bit more than that, unfortunately. The thing is, if I won’t acknowledge that yes, I have a girlfriend -which probably wouldn’t stop the rumors, anyway- then the next option is to appear single.” Harry couldn't meet Molly’s eyes as he said these final words. He didn’t want it to be this way, but it was the safest way to keep Molly anonymous. 

 

“Oh,” Molly tried to respond calmly. “I see.” She didn’t entirely understand, nor want to know what exactly that meant, or how they would execute that plan, but it was clear she would not be a part of it. “I understand, really. When I was  _ just _ a fan, I saw how jealous your fans got whenever you were rumored to have a girlfriend. There’s just something about knowing that your celebrity crush is single that makes you like them even more, even though there is a 0% chance of there ever being a possibility of actually dating them.”

 

“0%, uh?” Harry cracked a smile and Molly’s mood lifted for a moment.

 

“Okay, I’m clearly the exception, though,” she conceded and eventually smiled. “But I see how acknowledging you have a girlfriend might steer away some fans who feel that way, and considering how fragile your fanbase is right now, you don’t need to upset them any more.”

 

“Fragile?” Harry raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well, you’re still winning over their trust again, if that’s the right word. It’s going to take a while to fix the image issue, so I guess this is probably the best plan for now.” Molly didn’t like it, but she knew she only disliked it for selfish reasons. She knew Harry wasn’t choosing his career over her, because that wasn’t the case at all. Besides, she wanted what was best for his career more than he did, it seemed at times. “I just wish it didn’t suck so much,” she added quietly. 

 

“I’m sorry, I wish there was a way-” 

 

“We’ll talk every day, and I can visit,” Molly forced a smile and looked Harry in the eye, seeing the same sadness in his moss-toned eyes that she felt. “They say distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

 

Harry nodded in agreement, though he had never found that cliche to be true. “It’s just, you’ve been a big part of my life since, basically, the day we met three months ago. I’ve grown used to you being there by my side, telling me if I’ve done something stupid, or affirming the good decisions. And then of course there’s…” Harry’s lip quivered and he got quiet and waited for his emotions to calm down a bit.

 

“I know,” Molly curled up against him again and placed her head on his chest, just below his chin. “I’ll miss you too.”

 

They lay like that for a while, memorizing the way their bodies fit together and cherishing the moment. Molly was almost lulled back to sleep as her head rose and fell with Harry’s breaths, but she remembered something he had said. “I know you were probably just teasing me by quoting ‘Love You Goodbye’ like that, but if that was an offer, I’d gladly accept.”

 

A smile spread across Harry’s lips, and he leaned forward to kiss her. “One more taste of your lips just to bring me back,” he kissed her again, ”to the places we’ve been, and the night’s we’ve had.” Harry skipped ahead in the song, cutting out the unnecessary lines about breaking up, and trailed kisses back down her jaw to her neck, and let his hands wander. “Won’t you give it to me one last time…” Harry re-positioned Molly’s legs a little so she was straddling his hips and was almost lined up, but paused to look her in the eye as he delivered the last line of the song: “Oh, baby let me love you goodbye.”

 

Molly nodded, unable to find words as she ached in anticipation. “I think I like this version of the song better,” she snickered, and let Harry continue ‘loving her‘ goodbye.

  
  


Molly thought they’d see the Eiffel Tower together, try some authentic pizza in Italy, visit his mum again before the Manchester show. Molly thought she’d get to explore new places, like Stockholm and Amsterdam, with Harry, she thought they’d see the world together on his tour.

 

Instead, she took turns staying in her mom’s guest bedroom, and visiting her dad when her mom had ‘guests’ over (most weekends, it seemed). They were both sympathetic to her situation, and her mom tried to keep her distracted, but what Molly needed most was to remember who she was before Harry had come into her life. As he had pointed out, they had spent a lot of time together during the course of their odd relationship and were by no means a normal couple - even if he wasn’t popstar Harry Styles, they still couldn’t be considered ‘normal’.

 

On the night of his first show in Paris, the one she had hoped to watch from the wings of the stage just out of sight, like she usually did, her friends Lilly and Alexa texted her and asked if she wanted to come over for a ‘viewing party’.

 

“Viewing? What are we viewing?” Molly asked, though she really didn’t feel like getting out of her pajamas and preemptively planned on turning down their invitation. 

 

“Harry’s first show in Paris, of course!” Alexa laughed. “We’ve been watching most of them on live streams and periscope.”

 

Molly hadn’t even thought about watching his show, not like that at least. She and Harry had texted all day, so the concert was on her mind, but she assumed she would just hear about it from Harry afterwards.

 

“Will there be alcohol?” Molly asked, and Alexa answered affirmatively. “Then I’ll be right over.”

 

Molly arrived with a bottle of a pink colored vodka she, Alexa, and Lilly had loved back in college, and the ‘viewing party’ kicked off. Meaning, they found somewhere to watch the show live, and sat with their drinks on Alexa’s couch and waited for Harry.

 

“Do you think it’ll be different than the American shows?” Lilly asked and sat down between the two other girls with a bowl of popcorn.

 

“No, it shouldn’t be,” Molly answered, knowing Harry didn’t plan on changing up his set-list or adding anything else. “I mean, probably,” she added and shrugged, as if she weren’t secretly dating him. 

 

“I wonder what he’ll wear?” Alexa asked, and Molly nodded at her valid question. His wardrobe might be one thing he would change for the European shows, just based on local preferences

 

“Well, he’s Harry Styles, so he’ll wear some black skinny jeans, Chelsea boots, and some shirt I wish I was cool enough to own.” Lilly answered, and the girls laughed. Molly started to feel more at ease as she settled in with her two closest friends.

 

As they laughed at Lilly’s comment, the auditorium got dark, and Molly knew what was coming next. She held her breath in anticipation, as she knew Harry was standing on that stage, just waiting for the light to come up. She had seen him just over three days ago, but it somehow felt like three weeks.

 

The lights came up, and the audience, along with Alexa and Lilly, squealed with delight. Harry grinned and seemed to shine on stage, despite the poor video quality, and they jumped right into the first song without an introduction.

 

“I love his shirt! It looks so soft,” Lilly commented. “Is that the Eiffel Tower?” Lilly squinted at the screen and tried to make out the image on his t-shirt.

 

“Yeah,” Molly nodded, and quickly blinked away a few tears at her unfulfilled plans to see it with him. This must have been Harry’s way of making it up to her, letting her know she was still on his mind, and in his heart. 

 

“Bonjour Paris!” Harry said to the crowd at the end of the first song. “I’m so happy to start the European leg of my tour here in the city of lights! Je t’aime, tout le monde!”

 

As if he knew which fan’s phone Molly was watching the live stream through, Harry looked right at it as he spoke these words, and Molly felt he was somehow saying them directly to her. She felt her chest get tight with emotions, and tried to relax before she ended up crying for seemingly no reason.

 

“I’m going to mix things up tonight, and this next song is for someone very special to me.” Harry ran his hand through his hair -which was starting to get longish again- and took a deep breath before starting the song. “If I could fly, I’d be coming right back home to you…”

 

At this, Molly couldn’t contain her emotions, and tears began spilling down her cheeks. Luckily, Alexa and Lilly seemed to be having the same reaction to this song -though for completely different reasons. As the song concluded Alexa passed a tissue box around and they sniffled and blinked away tears.

 

“Ugh it’s not fair; why does he get to be that cute  _ and _ talented?” Alexa sighed. “God, I love you Harry.”

 

“Same,” Lilly sighed and dabbed her eyes again.

 

“Me too,” Molly added, and a chill ran down her spine as she realized the words she was saying.   _ ‘Really, Harry, I love you’ _ .   
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s almost like I planned for ‘if I could Fly’ to be their song… ; ) It ended up working better than I expected!
> 
> Okay, so I thought the words to ‘Love you Goodbye’ were: “Why are you wearing that to walk out of my life?”  
> And it turns out it’s not! It’s actually: “Oh, why did you have walk out of my life?”  
> I had a thing planned for Molly to say something about his outfit when he left, but when I looked up the lyrics I realized I was wrong xD Oops!  
> But the rest of the song fit, so I kept it : )  
> Edit: So I have been informed that Google Play's lyrics were wrong, and I was right about the line 'why are you wearing that to walk out of my life' lol xD (good to know I'm not just hearing things!)
> 
> Thank you for reading, and commenting! :D


	39. Chapter 39

Daisy stuffed her hair up into a Chicago Cubs cap and wrapped a scarf tightly around her neck to keep the cold out. With quivering hands, she put on her large sunglasses before heading out. Daisy hated being recognized as ‘Harry’s whore’ -as they called her, despite her attempts to set the record straight- and stayed at home or covered up if she went out. Yet, as she slipped on her jacket and tried to zip it up, there was one thing that was becoming increasingly difficult to cover up.

 

“Fuck,” Daisy swore and tried to push the edges of her jacket closer together to get the zipper over her ever expanding baby bump. She couldn’t believe she still had a couple months to go, and yet she already looked like she’d swallowed a watermelon. 

 

_ ‘Whatever’ _ Daisy thought, and stepped outside to face the world. Whether she got any stares and odd looks, Daisy barely noticed, as her mind was far away. She was on her way to meet someone - someone she hadn’t seen for a while, and honestly hadn’t seen much of him at the time. Well, she had seen  _ a lot _ of him at the time, but their only meeting was brief.

 

Daisy looked around the busy diner for him, trying to remember what he looked like. She met eyes with someone and he raised his hand slightly in a wave. 

 

“Conor…?” Daisy approached him. He looked much younger than she remembered now that she could see him in daylight. 

 

“Daisy,” he nodded, and she sat down across from him. She removed her sunglasses and he saw the dark circles under her eyes, the lines of worry aging her face. She looked years older than the girl who’s guitar and honey voice had led him to instigate the fateful one night stand that led them to… Conor blinked when his eyes finally took in her baby bump and the reality of the situation hit him like a tsunami. 

 

“I think we have a lot to talk about,” Daisy smiled politely. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Molly awoke on Alexa’s couch with a headache, and tried to recall the previous night. But before she could collect her thoughts, Alexa slumped onto the couch next to her with a cup of coffee and her phone.

 

“Did you see the new insta-story Harry posted?” She asked Molly and opened the Instagram app.

 

“No, I just woke up,” she said, and quickly rubbed her eyes to wake up a little faster. Molly had hoped Harry would continue updating his social media now that she wasn’t around to remind him or take pictures for him, so she was glad to see he had posted something. 

 

“He just posted it, but it looks like it was taken this morning. Makes sense they’d wait to post it, because they don’t want fans seeing it and rushing there hoping to see him.” Alexa held up her phone for Molly to watch as she hit play. It was a short video of Harry standing in front of the Eiffel Tower holding his hand out, as if he were holding it in his hand. Molly’s heart ached as she wished she were the one behind the camera taking the video, enjoying Paris with Harry.

 

Yet here she was, in New York, on her friend’s couch with a hangover. Molly needed something to occupy her mind, something to keep her busy so she wasn’t constantly pining after Harry.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry sat alone in his hotel room, waiting to move onto the next tour date. He wished Molly were there so he could at least have some company, and at least she could venture out into the city and enjoy it herself. Instead, Harry and a pr intern went to the Eiffel Tower that morning before it got busy, so Harry could take a short video for Instagram, before returning to his ‘confinent’ to his hotel room. His schedule seemed to be planned -with every detail taken into consideration- in order to dissuade the rumors that he had a secret girlfriend, especially the rumor that it was his manager. Jocelyn was irate at this ridiculous speculation, all stemming from a blurry photo of her entering Harry’s dressing room to talk strategy after one of his shows.

 

Harry wished he could make these rumors disappear, and things could go back to normal. He wanted people to stop thinking that he had gotten Daisy pregnant, and accusing her of lying about being gay; he wanted the speculation about his secret girlfriend to stop because that rumor was, in fact true. He wanted to keep Molly out of the public eye, away from the scrutiny of his the media and his fans, and safe. 

 

Harry missed Molly, and talking on the phone and texting was just not enough. He wanted more than anything to fly her over to Europe and keep her safe by his side throughout his tour, but Harry couldn’t risk accidentally exposing her to the public and giving up Molly’s anonymity. He didn’t think he could live with himself if he did that to her - since once it was out, it couldn’t be undone.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Molly called Gemma once she had returned to her mother’s apartment. She remembered Gemma’s offer to write an ‘advice column’ back when Molly visited Holmes Chapel and hoped to finally take her up on that offer. She had been too busy to do anything about it with Harry’s tour, but now she had ample time on her hands.

 

“Gemma!” Molly said when she answered her call. “How have you been?” 

 

“I’m okay, how are you? You’re not with Harry, I’ve heard, is everything alright?” 

 

“Yes, we’re just waiting out the rumors, hoping they’ll just go away soon.” Molly explained, without much enthusiasm behind her words, as she knew these kinds of things didn’t just ‘go away’. “In the meantime, I could use a little distraction, something to keep my mind busy.”

 

“You want to start our advice column?” Gemma’s voice lifted, and Molly was glad she still entertained the idea favorably. “We can start immediately!”

 

“Excellent!”

  
  


* * *

  
  


There was one thing that had been on Harry’s mind for a while, ever since Molly brought it up. He thought it might help him fill that void created by he and Molly only being able to communicate over phone, yet, he didn’t even know where to start looking. Harry hesitated before pulling out his phone and eventually calling an old friend for assistance.

 

“Harry?” 

 

“Liam!” Harry replied enthusiastically. “How are you? How’s Bear?”

 

“Fine, we’re both fine, what’s up?” Liam asked.

 

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard from Niall or Louis, but, I’ve found someone.” Harry paused. “A girlfriend.”

 

“Oh, congratulations, Harry, that’s great to hear.” Liam said, but Harry could tell he was a little confused.

 

“Well, the thing is, she’s...a fan. She was a directioner.”

 

It was quiet for a moment until Liam couldn’t muffle his laughter any longer. “Harry, that is indeed surprising! How did this even happen? I can’t imagine you ever dating a fan -not that there’s anything wrong with that- I just didn’t think it was your cup of tea.”

 

“Well,” Harry laughed. “Neither did I, but she’s definitely stolen my heart.”

 

“She must be a lovely lady, then,” Liam added, still not over the amusement of this discovery.

 

“She is indeed.” Harry agreed. “The thing is...okay, don’t take this the wrong way, but I miss her -since we’re apart while I’m on tour now-”

 

“Congrats on the tour as well, mate, I’ve been meaning to catch a show, maybe when you’re in London?” Liam interjected when Harry paused. “And maybe I can meet your lovely lady?”

 

“Yeah, absolutely.” Harry paused again, as he tried to figure out how to word his question. “The thing is...it’s just...Do you remember those interviews where….I guess they thought it would be funny, or whatever, to show us some One Direction fan art, and even some fanficiton?”

 

Laim groaned at the memory of the pictures they had been shown of the five of them in some...odd situations, but laughed. “Yes, it was pretty awkward if you ask me. They were certainly talented artists, but there are just some images I don’t want to see!” Liam and Harry both laughed, and it got quiet again.

 

“Well, the thing is,” Harry said for the third time in their conversation that evening. “You always paid attention to interviews much more than I did, so, I was kind of hoping you remembered the name of the site our fans put their fanfiction on?” Harry closed his eyes and cringed as he asked this question, because he could only imagine the look on Liam’s face and the thoughts going through his mind trying to reason with Harry’s question.

 

“That’s an interesting question, Haz,” Liam answered and cleared his throat a few times as he tried not to burst out laughing. “I can’t even imagine why you’d want to know? Are you curious after all these years? Or…wait...”

 

Harry could hear it in his tone, as the realization set in and Liam connected the dots. He almost hung up right then and there from embarrassment, but he’d come this far, so he might as well wait for Liam’s answer. 

 

“Yeah,” was all Harry managed to say, his cheeks burning pink with embarrassment, but he knew Liam wouldn’t judge him or tease him about it. 

 

“Okay, I won’t ask, but I believe it was 1Dfanfiction.com, or something like that?” Liam politely answered.

 

“Thank you, and let me know if you’re coming to one of my shows, maybe we can grab a pint beforehand.” Harry was quick to change the subject, but there was still a tone of awkwardness in the conversation. But, it was far less awkward than having to call up Niall or Louis, Harry thought, and Liam would probably keep this information to himself. 

 

“Absolutely, I’ll let you know,” Liam responde, and they concluded their conversation soon after. Harry poured himself a drink to clear his mind of the embarrassment of that conversation, and the guilt of what he was about to do. Then again, he didn’t necessarily have to do it; he didn’t  _ have  _ to try to find his girlfriend’s fanfiction about himself.

 

She’s the one who told him about it in the first place, so clearly she wasn’t trying to keep it a secret, right? At the time, Molly had seemed embarrassed about the thought of him reading her fanfiction, but she never asked him not to read it, right? He just wanted to feel closer to her, and what she doesn’t know, won’t hurt her, right? 

 

Harry poured himself a drink while he contemplated this, and then he did something he never thought he’d do: he willingly looked up fanfiction about himself.

 

_ ‘This is crazy’  _ he thought, and closed out of the site. Harry tried to distract himself elsewhere, but that evening (after a few drinks of encouragement) he yet again found himself on that fanfiction site again.  _ ‘I think this is the one Molly said she used to post her fanfiction on…’ _

 

Harry scrolled through the titles of recently updated stories, but he knew he wouldn’t find Molly’s old fanfiction there. He searched his name to narrow down the stories to just those which were about himself. He cringed at the title of a few the stories, though a few actually caught his eye.

 

_ ‘Okay Molly, what kind of fanfiction did you write?’ _ Harry thought as he scrolled the countless fanfics penned in his honor. He knew this search was probably (and he almost hoped it would be) fruitless, as he was on the 10th page of stories, and had barely scratched the surface. Harry randomly skipped ahead to some older stories, posted back in 2011. 

 

“This is ridiculous,” Harry shook his head, and was about to give up when one username caught his eye: “ _ Molly_Styles95 _ ...I wonder who that could be?” Harry chuckled and clicked on the first story without thinking about it. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, Harry has (maybe) found her fanfiction! But will he actually read it? (And I finally remembered to include Liam! I didn't mean to leave him out, I just for got, oops!) 
> 
>  
> 
> I have finally, after nearly a year of searching, found a job! Unfortunately, that means I won’t have as much time to write anymore : ( I can’t say how often I will be able to update this story, but I’ll try to write when I have time. Thank you all for reading, commenting, and voting on this story! I appreciate it a lot! :D
> 
>  
> 
> We’ve reached 4,000 views!!! Thank you so much
> 
>  
> 
> PS. Happy Valentine's Day!! <3


	40. Chapter 40

**_A/N_ ** _ : This symbol: ~ will be used to indicated the start and end of  _ something  _ Harry is reading ; ) Enjoy! _

 

‘Dear Molly and Gemma,

My best friend and I are fighting because we both like the same guy. She says she should get him because she’s never had as much luck dating as I have, so it’s her turn. But, I heard he likes me too, so what should I do?

Sincerely,

Best Friend Drama

PS. Congratulations, Gemma, on soon becoming an aunt!’

 

‘Dear Molly and Gemma,

Thank you for starting this advice column! 

Do you know when Daisy’s due date is? I’ve been doing the math, and I think conception must have happened in May, so is it due in February? What a coincidence would it be that the baby could be born on its father’s birthday?

Sincerely,

Just Curious’

 

‘Dear Molly and Gemma,

I have a male friend who is rumored to be dating someone, and I’m not sure how I feel about this. I always hated seeing him with a girlfriend because I (for some reason) prefer him to be single, even though I have absolutely no chance with him. Our relationship is a bit complicated, but I’ve always been supportive of him, no matter what, but these rumors are making me feel uneasy. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Help I Think I Love Him’

 

‘Dear Molly and Gemma,

Is Harry really dating his manager?’

  
  


The first questions for Molly and Gemma’s advice column streamed in, and the majority of the questions had to do with Harry and the speculative rumors surrounding him. Molly rolled her eyes and called Gemma.

 

“Have you seen this?” Molly exhaled a frustrated sigh. She just wanted to be distracted from Harry’s absence, but instead was only reminded of the poisonous rumors that kept them apart.

 

“Yes, and I should have expected as much. Should we have used pseudonyms?”

 

“I thought of that too, but wasn’t the point of us working together to solidify our friendship with the public?”

 

“Well,” Gemma hesitated. “Yes, but I also thought it might be fun for us to work together, maybe forge a real friendship.”

 

“Yes, of course,” Molly amended, realizing how her pervious words had come across. “I think it would be fun for us to work together as well. But I only wish our readers had sent in some legitimate questions! I’m ready to dish out some relationship advice, or help a girl sort out her life.”

 

“Me too! And they’re not all bad; did you see the girl who said she and her friend liked the same guy? Surely that’s not related to Harry.”

 

“True, that one seems legit. But the girl complaining about her ‘male friend’ rumored to have a girlfriend?” Molly scoffed. “Really, did they not think we’d see through it?” Molly snickered, and Gemma joined her.

 

“Let me take that one, I know just the answer for it,” she said.

 

“You’re actually going to answer it?” Molly was surprised. “It’s clearly about Harry.”

 

“Yes, and I have just the right response,” Gemma replied and smirked.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry read over the description of the story posted by Molly_Styles95 -who he assumed was Molly- and the further he read, the more convinced he became that it must be her. Harry smiled, and continued reading:

 

~An AU, where celebrities don’t exist and actors, musicians, etc., are treated like regular people, just doing their jobs. Other than that, everything’s the same.~

 

Harry paused.  _ ‘What’s an AU?’ _

 

He shrugged, and continued reading:

 

~Chapter 1: In Which the Boys Gets Some - (ice cream, that is) 

 

Harry was in his dressing room waiting for their concert to start. Niall came in and was startled to see Harry.

 

“Woah, didn’t see you there Haz. We’re about to start!” Niall said and grabbed a bottle of water.

 

“Sorry Nialler I lost track of time.” Harry stood up and joined his Irish bandmate as they walked backstage toward the other boys. They warmed up together as usual and waited to go on stage.

 

“You seem distracted.” Louis said to Harry. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing Louis, I’m fine.” Harry lied. Harry was not fine, he felt homesick, and lonely. Being on the road was starting to wear on him and he was looking forward to going home. 

 

“Hey, who wants to get ice cream after the show?” Zayn appeared, and his bandmates nodded.

 

“I’d love some ice cream.” Liam answered.~

  
  


* * *

  
  


Gemma sat at her computer and smiled before typing a response to one of the questions for their advice column. 

 

‘Dear “Help I Think I Love Him”,

If you really do think you love your male friend, then shouldn’t you want whatever makes him happy? If he is rumored to be dating someone, but he himself has not said anything, why believe the rumors? Plus, you said you have no chance of ever dating him yourself, so why should it matter if he is dating anyone or not? You seem to care about him a lot, so maybe you should just wish him the best and not care who he dates - since it doesn’t really affect you anyway.

Your’s truly.

Gemma’

 

Gemma read over her answer and grinned before sending it to Molly for her opinion. She hoped it would dissuade further questions about Harry, but she knew there would always be interested fans. 

 

* * *

 

Harry laughed to himself, and continued reading Molly’s story:

 

~After the concert the One Direction boys all clambered out of Madison Square Garden to find an ice cream shop. Since they were not going to be recognized, due to the fact that celebrities did not exist, they just walked out the main door with all the fans. 

 

“Nice show!” A few of their fans waved, and respectfully left them alone as they went their own ways. 

 

The boys waved, and trudged down the street looking for some ice cream. Distracted by the city lights and not paying attention to where he was going, Harry bumped into one of the fans leaving MSG after the show.

 

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was walking.” Harry apologize.

 

“It’s no problem. I wasn’t really paying attention either,” the girl responded. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and a perfect hourglass figure.~

 

Harry stopped reading for a minute and cocked his head.  _ ‘Is that how Molly wished to see herself?’ _ He thought, and had never once questioned that Molly was confident in her appearance.  _ ‘Unless this girl isn’t meant to be Molly’ _ Harry thought, since the description didn’t match her completely. He shrugged and continued reading the story.

 

~Harry looked into the eyes of this girl and immediately felt something he hadn’t felt in months: he felt at home. He tried to call out to her, but he didn’t know her name. 

 

“Um, hey, were you at the 1D concert?” He asked her and she stopped to look back at him.

 

“Yeah, I was. I could ask you the same, but,” the brunet smiled mischievously and shrugged. “Obviously you were.”

 

“Obviously,” Harry repeated to himself and smiled. “Listen, um….”

 

“Holly.” The girl filled in her name.~

 

Harry stopped reading and laughed.  _ ‘Holly, eh?’ _ A potential Molly/Harry ship name?  _ ‘Interesting choice in name, Molly….’ _ He smirked before continuing reading.

 

~Harry smiled as the girl said her name. “Holly, that’s a pretty name. Reminds me of Christmas.”

 

“Thanks.” Holly smiled back.

 

“Well Holly, the boys and I are on our way to get some ice cream, would you like to come with us?” Harry asked.

 

Molly smiled shyly. “I would love to.” ~

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Daisy sipped on her herbal tea and watched Conor pretend to eat whatever he’d ordered, but it was clear he had no appetite. 

 

“Listen, Daisy,” he finally said after she had gone over the details. “I get that you’re...it’s just… are you sure it’s mine?”

 

“Jesus, Conor, you’re the only man I’ve slept with since I was in high school, so yeah, I’m pretty fucking sure.” Daisy resisted rolling her eyes. “We can do a paternity test once he’s born, but yes-”

 

“He?” Conor interrupted and brought his hands up to his mouth. “You mean, I’m going to have a son?” 

 

Daisy nodded, and realized this wasn’t as real for him yet as it was for her, so she would need to let him in on all the details that were now standard and familiar to her. She pulled out her phone and opened a picture from her latest sonogram. “See for yourself.” She slid the phone over to him.’’

 

Conor picked up the phone with shaking hands and stared at the image of his fetal son. “Oh my god, he’s so tiny,” he laughed and wiped away a tear forming on his eye.

 

Daisy watched him melt and seemingly fall in love with this tiny human, made up of a mix of his and her DNA to form a unique lump of cells, that would grow into a child -their child. Conor saw his life change before his eyes, and as terrifying and horrifying as the idea was, he was determined to bring this child into the world with Daisy and raise it alongside her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you to all of my lovely readers! I wrote this chapter a couple of days ago, but yesterday(and it continues today) I have had the privilege of actually dealing with some of Harry’s more dedicated fans (maybe a bit like the fans mentioned in this chapter?) If you want to check out the drama, it’s on my tumblr: https://bananashark7.tumblr.com/tagged/haters-gonna-hate
> 
> Honestly I’m just laughing at how upset people are getting! It doesn’t really change my opinion, and I’m certainly not going to stop writing just because a few people don’t like the way I’m portraying Harry. As I’ve always said, I write for fun, and I hope my readers find the story as enjoyable as I do.
> 
> So again, thank you for understanding this is fiction and not taking it too seriously. It’s just a story! :D


	41. Chapter 41

~Holly and the boys of One Direction sat in the ice cream shop with their cones, eating the ice cream quickly before it melted.

 

“Why’d you get vanilla, Liam, that’s such a boring flavor?” Louis teased.

 

“I like vanilla, okay? You got, what, pistachio? A nut, just like you.” Liam returned his bandmate’s teasing.

 

“Good one, Liam.” Zayn laughed at Liam’s joke. “Strawberry’s where it’s at, though.” He licked a drip of pink ice cream before it reached his hand. 

 

“And you two both got chocolate?” Louis asked Harry and their new friend Holly.

 

“I just wanted whatever she was having,” Harry smiled shyly and glanced at Holly. “You’ve got some ice cream on your nose.” He turned to reach for a napkin for her, but Niall beat him to it.

 

“Let me get that for you.” Niall said and leaned over to wipe the smudge of chocolate ice cream of her nose with his thumb.

 

“Thanks,” Holly giggled and blushed.~

 

Harry bit his lip and put his phone down. He’d forgotten how smitten Molly seemed when she had met Niall at his concert in London. He had forgotten that Molly said she had written fanfiction about all of them, not just him. For a moment, Harry felt jealous, almost angry, that he had to share her affection .

 

Harry shook his head and snapped out of it. “It’s just fanfiction,” he sighed and laughed to himself. He had been reading this story on and off as he traveled to his next tour stop in Germany because he thought it would help him keep his mind from wandering, and wallowing at Molly’s absence. Yet it only made him miss her more.

 

_ ‘It’s just a story’ _ he reminded himself - a story he shouldn’t be reading. Harry turned his phone off and closed his eyes, hoping to get some sleep.

 

* * *

 

Molly laughed when she saw Gemma’s response to their first ‘Ask Gemma and Molly’ column. It was a good way to set a precedent for further questions, and they both hoped it would deter their readers from sending in Harry-related questions. Yet, they knew they would probably still get a few.

 

She had just sat down to start writing when her phone buzzed with a text from Harry.

 

* _ Is chocolate your favourite flavor of ice cream? _

 

_ ‘What?’ _ Molly laughed to herself.

 

_ *It’s one of them, why? _

 

Harry didn’t respond right away, so she put her phone down and got back to her writing. The question sent in was about a girl wanting to go to college to study English, and one day become a writer- yet her parents wanted her to study something more useful. They suggested she study something in the sciences, or maybe economics, or business, but she didn’t want to. The girl ended her question with a plea for their help, signing off as ‘Modern Jane Austen’.

 

‘Dear Modern Jane Austen,

 

I know how you feel, and I’m not just saying that. It’s going to sound cliche, but follow your heart. Your parents are looking out for you and your future, as they should, but you need to consider what will make you happy. When I was a senior in high school I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up, so I let my parents talk me into studying marketing in college. I thought it would be fun - like the show ‘Mad Men’ - but by the time I graduated I grew to hate the subject. When I graduated I still had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, except by then I was ‘grown up’ and needed to figure it out - and fast. I took some random jobs when I graduated just to make some money, and oddly enough one of those jobs led me to something that has changed my life. I have found a use for my unwanted degree in marketing, and possibly found a purpose for my life’

 

Molly paused and re-read what she’d written. She shook her head and erased the last line -  _ ‘Too personal’ _ she thought, and continued writing.

 

‘I have found a use for my unwanted degree in marketing, and  possibly found a purpose for my life  found something that makes me happy. So to reiterate, follow your heart, and do what makes you happy. If you need to compromise with your parents, try starting out undeclared and then pick a major that fits you best. Who knows, you might like something like photography, or linguistics, or something random you’ve never even considered, until you try it. 

 

Good luck!

 

Sincerely,

Molly’

 

She sat back and reread her response a couple of times before sending it to Gemma for her opinion. Molly considered that line she had deleted and wondered why she had even written it. Or really, why she had deleted it? Only Gemma would understand what she meant, so why would it matter?

 

_ ‘It’s not true’ _ Molly tried to convince herself. He wasn’t her purpose in life - that was an exaggeration, clearly. But those words she had uttered on her friend’s couch a few days ago while watching Harry perform in Paris came back to her…

 

Molly shook her head. She wasn’t ready to think the ‘L’ word  (at least not while sober) because that was the kind of thing Molly thought clingy, needy girls did. She couldn’t be the one to say it first, so she wasn’t even going to acknowledge the fact that it might be a possibility that she-

 

Molly shook her head again.  _ ‘Nope. I will not be that kind of girlfriend’ _

 

She tried to get back to work, but couldn’t think straight.  _ ‘Once you realize you’re in love, you can’t just ‘unrealize’ it.’  _ She thought as she looked out the window at the bright moon glaring through her bedroom window. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Daisy and Conor left the doctor’s office together, and Conor couldn’t stop smiling. He looked down at the sonogram image they had just taken of his son.

 

“He’s so tiny,” he beamed at the image.

 

“He doesn’t feel tiny to me,” Daisy groaned and again reminded herself to buy a bigger jacket.

 

“He’s just a peanut,” Conor continued. “My mom used to call me that, when she was pregnant with me. She said I was her ‘little peanut’; do you have a nickname for him like that?”

 

“Kinda,” she smiled shyly. “He feels like he’s the size of a watermelon, and he’s always doing the backstroke or something in there, so I call him my ‘water baby’. It’s kind of dumb, but…” she shrugged.

 

“No, I like it!” Conor smiled brightly again. “I know the due date is still a couple of months away, but do you have any names? Because, like, I’ve been thinking about that a lot, and I don’t know if you want my input on that, but-”

 

“Of course, Conor, he’s your son as much as he is mine.” Daisy reassured him. “I’d love to hear your ideas.”

 

“You’ve had more time to think about this, so you can go first.”

 

“Well, a friend suggested Joaquin-”

 

“Like Joaquin Phoenix?” Conor interrupted.

 

“Yeah, I guess. I also kind of like the name Dylan, but I guess that’s pretty poplar.”

 

“Yeah, I know too many guys named Dylan and they’re certainly not people I’d want to name my son after.” Conor grimaced, and Daisy laughed.

 

“Or, I was thinking a nature sounding name, to go with ‘Daisy’. Maybe not another flower name -unless you know of any masculine sounding flowers- so something naturey. My friend suggested Skylar.” Daisy explained.

 

“Nature...oh, like Brooks, maybe?” Conor suggested.

 

“Brooks?” Daisy smiled and cocked her head.

 

“Yeah, like Brooks Laich, or Brooks Orpik - hockey players, they play for the Washington Capitals.” Conor explained. 

 

“Is that a NHL team?” Daisy asked, and Conor nodded. “So you like hockey?”

 

Conor grinned, and shrugged, but his answer was clear: Conor loved hockey. “I play, actually. That’s why I’m in Chicago; I play at Northwestern University.”

 

“Oh,” Daisy forgot he was in college. “What year are you?”

 

“Senior,” Conor grinned again, and seemed pretty proud of the fact he’d made it to his senior year in college. “I probably won’t graduate, though.”

 

“Why not?” Daisy cocked her head up at him again. “Are your grades too low? You can always take courses in the summer.”

 

“No, it’s nothing like that, though my GPA isn’t great. I might leave after hockey season is over to play pro hockey, if they want me, and maybe play in the NHL one day.” He shrugged again, as if it wasn’t a big deal, but Daisy could tell it was something he was really excited about.

 

“A black hockey player? That’s about as rare as a pregnant lesbian - we’re quite a pair.” Daisy pointed out with a snort of a laugh.

 

“It’s true, only 5% of NHL players are black, and I hope to be one of them.” Conner agreed, still smiling.

 

“I hate to ask this, but if you want to play pro hockey, is something like this going to affect your chances?” Daisy rested her hand on her baby bump, and Conor’s stride broke for a moment.

 

“It might, but I’d rather be open about it from the start, rather than having someone find out about it later and use it to make me look bad.” He gave her a crooked smile, and Daisy was suddenly filled with a weird kind of love for him. It wasn’t a romantic type of love, or sexual, or anything like that; it was the kind of love you feel for your unborn baby and his father who would put his career at risk to be involved in his child’s life -a very specific type of love. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry stared up at the moon as he rode to the hotel. It was big and very bright tonight, and for some reason, he thought it looked lonely. Perhaps because they were too close to the city for the stars to show and keep it company, or maybe Harry was just projecting his own feelings onto the cold, inanimate, reflective, rock.

 

When Harry arrived at his hotel he stepped out onto the balcony and stared at the moon for a long time, as if waiting for it to say something to him, before he took out his phone and snapped a picture of it for Instagram. He posted the image with the caption: ‘with nothing but the moon to keep me company tonight’

 

Very cryptic, though he knew Molly would understand it.

 

Sure enough, Molly called him as soon as she saw the post the next morning.

 

“Harry, this again?” She laughed, though he could tell she was trying to sound happy. “I thought we decided the sun and the moon metaphor was not a good idea?”

 

“Yes, but...I miss you. And seeing the moon is a constant reminder that we’re both under the same moon, and you’re not actually that far away, if that makes sense.” Harry shook his head and tried to reword that. “You’re still closer than the moon.”

 

“That’s true,’ Molly said quietly. She got what Harry was trying to say, even if he did say it awkwardly. “I um, I miss you too. Like, a lot.” She added, and mentally smacked herself. That made her sound clingy, and needy, and Harry doesn’t need to deal with that right now.

 

“Me too,” he replied, and Molly couldn’t read his tone, but he sighed. 

 

_ ‘Is that an annoyed sigh or is he just tired?’ _ Molly asked herself, but tried to shake it off.

 

“After tonight’s show I’m returning to London, and I’ve been thinking....Maybe you could visit Gemma for a bit?” Harry asked.

 

“And by Gemma, you mean you, right?” Molly asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “I was thinking the same thing! We’ve started writing our column together, so it would make sense that she and I would maybe be together, in the same city, or country even, writing it.” Molly rambled, and stopped when she heard Harry chuckling quietly.

 

“I see you have been thinking about this,” he laughed, and Molly blushed.

 

“I mean, it’s not like I have my bag packed or anything,” she lied and glanced over at her suitcase. Technically it just wasn’t unpacked from when she arrived, but it could easily be fully repacked in a moment’s notice.

 

“Well, I think there might be a flight from JFK to Heathrow this evening, maybe. I mean, there has to be, right?” Harry added to cover up the fact he had indeed looked up this information, and even considered reserving a seat for her. 

 

“Yeah, probably!” Molly answered enthusiastically -probably too enthusiastically. “If I maybe caught the earliest flight to London, we might arrive around the same time.” Molly could not hide the excitement in her voice now, as she picture she and Harry having some kind of romantic reunion in the airport, like at the end of ‘Love, Actually’. 

 

“Okay, yeah, I’ll, um, see you later.” Harry stuttered.

 

“Okay!”

 

“And Molly?” 

 

“Yes?”

 

“I…” Harry hesitated, the words right on his lips, but he couldn’t get himself to say them. “I’ll see you then.”

 

“You too!” She answered, and they ended the call.

 

_ ‘Damit Harry’ _ He thought and fell back onto his bed.

 

Similarly, Molly sunk deeper into the couch and shook her head.  _ ‘This is what happens when two people who can’t express their feelings well try to express a feeling’ _ . 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like Molly’s fanfiction so far? I’m going somewhere with it, I swear! It’s not just Harry being creepy xD
> 
>  
> 
> I’ve finally completed editing this story up through the latest chapter, and fixed quite a few mistakes (oops!) but I also realized I spelled Conor’s name as ‘Connor’ sometimes, so I’ve hopefully fixed that too! It’s so much easier to spot mistakes once the story has been posted for some reason :p
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting! :D


	42. Chapter 42

Molly and Harry did not have their romantic ‘Love, Actually’ reunion in the airport like Molly had dreamed about - since that would be impractical and defeat the purpose of them remaining appart. Instead, Molly took a cab to Gemma’s and planned to stay in her guest bedroom for the duration of her visit.

 

“How was your flight?” Gemma asked and helped Molly carry her suitcase inside.

 

“Ugh, someone behind me snored loudly, and these two kids watched ‘Frozen’ on repeat without headphones, so I didn’t get a wink of sleep.” Molly complained and stormed into Gemma’s living room, ready to fall onto her couch.

 

“Oh come on Molly, just... _ Let it go, let it go _ -” A familiar voice sang, and Molly froze.

 

“Harry!” She whipped around and nearly jumped into his arms. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

 

“I wanted to see you as soon as you arrived,” he said between kisses. “Well, I’ve wanted to see you for the past ten days.”

 

“Has it really only been ten days? It seems like so much longer.” Molly leaned back in his arms to see his face. “I think it’s because you left so suddenly; after being together every day for several months, then suddenly nothing…”

 

“I thought it would be like taking off a bandaid -just rip it off and get it over with- but I think that made it worse.” Harry admitted, and pulled her back in closer to rest his chin on her head.  “It won’t be like that this time.”

 

“Let’s not talk about that.” Molly replied. “We have a whole week together before your tour returns to Europe, and we’ll deal with that when it comes.” Molly tried to smile confidently and happily, for Harry, but it was clear they were both putting up a strong front for the other. 

 

“Gemma has gone out for the evening...” Harry started and tilted his head suggestively.

 

“How kind of her to give us some privacy. But, you wouldn’t feel weird fucking your girlfriend in your sister’s house?” Molly asked, not that she objected to the idea.

 

“There’s really nothing else on my mind,” Harry answered huskily. “You didn’t perhaps, bring those stockings?”

 

Molly laughed, and blushed. “God no, but if you like them, I’m sure we can get more.” She bit her lip looked up into his dark eyes.

 

“That can wait,” he said, and grabbed her hand. “This, can’t.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry turned in front of the mirror as Lou touched up his hair. “It’s getting rather long, Harry, are you sure you don’t want a trim?” She asked.

 

“No, I’m growing it out again; I like it longer, Molly said she likes it longer, and I think it looks better-” Harry started to explain, but was interrupted by Lou’s laughter.

 

“Molly likes it?” She teased and smiled back at Harry in the mirror.

 

“She says it fits the image, that’s all,” he explained, and blushed a little.

 

“So, should we maybe get back into the head scarfs to keep this mess in place, or do you not mind your hair flopping all over while you’re trying to perform?” Lou asked, again running her hands through his locks.

 

“Umm,” Harry thought for a moment. “Yeah, let’s try that again.”

 

Lou left to find a headscarf that would match Harry’s outfit -standard black jeans, a Queen t-shirt (the band, not  _ the _ Queen), and sparkly boots with the pattern of the union jack across them. Molly and Gemma joined Harry after Lou departed, and they commented on his outfit as any sister and her friend would.

 

“You planning to blind them all with those boots?” Gemma teased, and Molly giggled.

 

“Or maybe reaffirm your British citizenship, since you seem to spend so much time in America?” Molly added jokingly. 

 

“Really, miss Winthrope?” Harry smirked and turned to look at her. “Gemma, you have some opinionated friends.” He teased, and shot Molly an apologetic look.

 

“That’s exactly why I like her,” Gemma retorted, and linked arms with Molly.

 

“Actually, Molly, I have someone I’d like you to meet.” Harry leaned in and nearly whispered. He knew he could trust his team, but he wasn’t sure who else might be listening backstage, so they still needed to be discreet.

 

“Oh? Who’s that?” Molly asked.

 

“Another member of One Direction,” Harry answered.

 

“Liam?” Molly smiled, than quietly added, “or, Zayn?” She wasn’t sure if he and Harry were still friendly, or whatever.

  
“Yeah, Liam.” Harry nodded. “I spoke with him recently and he said he’d like to meet you, and I’m sure you would want to meet the remaining member of 1D -since you’re such a fan.” Harry added teasingly and Molly laughed.

 

“He wants to meet me?” Molly blushed and nearly squealed with excitement, but tried to contain herself. “Why?”

 

“I told him about  you, and he said he’d like to meet the fan who stole my heart,” Harry smiled slyly.

 

“Stolen your heart, really?” Molly tried to sound like she was joking, but really it made her heart swell to hear him say these words.

 

“He’ll be sitting with you and Gemma. And, you guys should probably take your seats soon, before the opening act starts,” He pulled back again, and put on the pretense that he was just talking to his sister and her friend.

 

“Of course. Shall we?” Gemma asked Molly and she nodded, and the two girls left Harry’s dressing room to find their seats. 

 

As Harry said, Liam was sitting in the VIP area next to Gemma and Molly’s reserved seats. He waived when he saw Gemma, and nodded to Molly. 

 

“Hi, you must be Molly?” He said and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you; Harry’s told me a bit about you.”

 

“Oh no!” Molly blushed. “Did he say I was a fan?” 

 

“He did, but, it’s okay. If Harry approves, then you’re fine by me.” Liam smiled, and Molly relaxed a little.

 

“I’m sure you’re aware that Harry dragged Niall and Louis up on stage with him and made them sing ‘Fools Gold’ with him, and I can imagine he’ll do the same with you tonight.” Molly warned  Liam.

 

“I’d be a little disappointed if he didn’t!” Liam laughed. “I just wish he’d told me which song he planned on singing.”

 

“He has been singing ‘If I Could Fly’, but…” Molly paused. She kind of thought that was ‘their’ song, so maybe he wouldn’t want someone else singing it with him. She realized Liam was waiting for her to finish her sentence, so she put on a smile and shrugged. “But you know Harry -he’s so spontaneous!”

 

“And to think I actually sang ‘Fool’s Gold’ in the shower this morning -just in case,” he chuckled to himself. The show started before Molly had a chance to come up with a response, so she, Gemma, and Liam waited in suspense. 

 

The crowd was particularly rambunctious that night, and Harry threw this raucous energy right back at them in an electric and energetic performance. Molly got so caught up in it that she almost forgot she was sitting next to Liam, until Harry stopped for yet another one of his impromptu setlist changes.

 

“Boys and girls, I have yet another good friend in the audience tonight.” Harry grinned as the audience squealed in delight. “I think you probably know him, and if we ask nicely enough, he might come up here and help me sing the next song. What do you say Liam?”

 

Liam chuckled beside Molly, resigned to his fate as fans screamed his name. “Oh Harry,” he shook his head, but stood up to trudge toward the stage.

 

“Poor Liam,” Gemma commented. “My brother can be such a pain sometimes.”

 

“Yeah,” Molly laughed. “But that’s why we love him.” Molly blushed as she realized she had just told Gemma she loved Harry, but hoped she didn’t think she’d meant it  _ that _ way.

 

Yet Gemma caught onto Molly’s sudden change in demeanor and tilted her head. “Molly...do you mean to say that you-”

 

Luckily, she was cut off by her brother on stage welcoming his former bandmate. “You’re such a sport, Liam.” He gave him a hug, and they huddled for a moment - probably discussing the song Harry wanted them to sing together. Liam nodded and stepped up to the microphone a stagehand had set out for him. Without saying anything further, Harry nodded to his band and the song started.

 

Harry opened with the lyrics traditionally sung by Zayn, and Molly and the rest of the audience recognized the song. “My hands, your hands, tied up like two ships,” he sang, and Liam continued with the part of the verse he normally sang, so they could sing the chorus together.

 

“I’m sorry if I say I need you, but I don’t care, I’m not scared of love. Because when I’m not with you I’m weaker, is that so wrong, is it so wrong?”

 

If Gemma had not been sitting next to her, Molly probably would have broken down in tears. She remembered the last time Harry had sung this song, and his explanation behind how he had chosen it. He had told her ‘not to look into the words so closely’, but this time it felt different. Not because of the addition of Liam, but the way Harry seemed to say the lines directly to her, as if it were just the two of them alone here in the Apollo theater. 

 

At the quieter part of the song, normally sung by Niall, Harry looked directly at Molly -even though it was dark and she wasn’t near the stage- and paused when he got to the line ‘I’m not afraid of love’ and spoke the words instead of singing them. Liam glanced at him, and Harry continued with the song as normal. He kept glancing back at Molly, as if trying to see her reaction, but it was too dark for him to properly see her from the stage.

 

If he had, he might have seen the tears streaming down her face, or her quivering bottom lip -which she bit trying to (unsuccessfully) stop the trembling- or the pleading look in her eyes willing him to explain what he meant by that.  _ ‘Why do you have to be so cryptic, Harry?’ _ She thought and quickly wiped her eyes before the song ended.

 

“Need a tissue, dear?” Gemma offered. “And, is your lip bleeding?”

 

“What?” Molly instinctively licked her lips. “Oh, um, they must be dry or something.” She took the tissue Gemma offered and wiped her eyes, then tried to clean up her lip a bit. _‘I guess I was biting my lip a little harder than I thought’_ She looked up when Liam returned, and saw Harry on stage beyond him, looking at her with an unreadable mask on his face. Molly stared back at him and wondered if maybe she was overthinking this and reading into it too much. As much as she wanted to tell him how she felt, she was scared he wouldn’t return the same feelings, leaving things awkward between the two of them. With Harry away on tour, and the tension caused by the girlfriend and Daisy rumors, things were already precarious, and Molly didn’t want to make that worse.

 

As the show came to a conclusion, Liam gave Molly a quick hug goodbye. “You seem like a nice girl, and Harry sure seems taken with you. I hope to see you around!” He said before slipping out a back entrance to avoid getting mobbed by fans. Gemma and Molly also took off a little early, opting to wait for Harry backstage.

 

When Harry came off stage he had one thing on his mind, and when he saw her standing off stage with his sister, he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her like he never had before. Instead he settled for a hug. Molly had a bright look in her eyes and he wondered if she had realized what he was trying to say through that song. Harry put that thought aside, since this wasn’t the place to get into that. Instead, he and Molly headed back to his house and made up for lost time.

 

The pair spent all night and the next morning together, not really exchanging many words, instead remembering the way they fit into each other’s arms. They lay in bed together as late as they could before Harry had to leave to get ready for his second show that evening. This time, Molly hung out backstage -careful not to be seen by any fans- and watched Harry just off stage where she used to stand. It felt right, like she belonged there in that spot, like this was where she was meant to be.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam finally had his turn on stage with Harry!! XD
> 
> I start work on Monday, so who knows when the next chapter will be up (hopefully it won’t be too long of a wait). I’ve written some kind of outline for the next few chapters up until the end (chapter 50) so now all I have to do is write it! (easier said than done, lol)


	43. Chapter 43

  
  


**Part 1**

 

“Manchester, you have been amazing! I am so proud to call you home, and I can’t wait to come back next year!” Harry smiled broadly at the screaming audience, and waved before leaving the stage with his band. Tonight’s show had been even more electric than the two London shows, but there was a somber moment when Harry paused to take a minute of silence for the victims of the recent Manchester bombing. 

 

Gemma and Anne had sat in the audience together, while Molly opted to remain backstage to avoid speculation. Harry’s fans were still on high alert for his ‘mystery girlfriend’ and didn’t seem to be backing down. Then again, Molly knew better than to assume they would let the topic rest so easily, since she herself had been in that position, too. Yet now, being on the other side of the story, she could see just how much work and effort went into keeping celebrities’ private lives just that: private. After the show ended, Molly met up with Anne and Gemma backstage, and Harry joined them once he had changed out of his concert attire. 

 

“Did you see Michael in the audience? I didn’t expect him to be here,” Harry beamed and hugged his mom and sister, and lastly Molly.

 

“I think the whole gang was here,” Gemma replied.

 

“Really? I just saw Michael, but that was really nice of them to come out to support me tonight.” Harry said, still buzzing from the show.

 

“It was, considering you were just schoolmates,” Anne added.

 

“They were my best friends at one point.” Harry corrected, and pulled out his phone. “I wonder what they’re doing. I feel like I should take them out for a pint or something, to thank them for coming or whatever.”

 

“I’m sure they’d appreciate that.” Anne smiled, and chatted with Molly and Gemma about the fans in the section they had been seated in, while they waited for Harry.

 

“I’m going to meet up with them at the pub for a few drinks, I promise I won’t be out too late!” He hugged them all goodbye, and took off before they could respond.

 

“Okay, I guess we’re having a girls night in!” Gemma laughed, and the three of them left together. 

 

Gemma, Molly, and Anne did indeed have a girls night in, and stayed up watching a movie and drinking wine. Eventually Anne went to bed, followed soon after by Gemma, but Molly wanted to wait up for Harry to come home. She sat in their room, wearing the stockings he seemed to like so much, and waited with the half-empty bottle of wine. 

 

She waited, and waited, and next thing she knew, she woke up alone with an empty wine bottle.  _ ‘Woke up alone in this hotel room…’ _ Molly thought, and rolled out of bed to throw the bottle out and put some real clothes on. She pulled out her phone and texted Harry asking him where the heck he was, but received no response. 

 

She joined Gemma and Anne for breakfast, and neither of them seemed surprised to not see Harry. “Do you guys know where Harry ended up last night?” Molly asked.

 

Gemma laughed a moment before answering. “He said he was too pissed last night to come back and crashed on Colin’s couch.”

 

Molly was startled, until she remembered ‘pissed’ meant drunk over here, not angry. Yet, she still wasn’t sure why he hadn’t told her, but he’d texted Gemma. Must have been very drunk, indeed. “Well, hopefully he’s not too hungover; we have to leave for Glasgow soon.”

 

“Actually, he’s already there.” Gemma giggled some more. “Colin lives in Glasgow, and somehow they all ended up there last night.”

 

“Oh,” Molly probably would have found it more amusing if she hadn’t stayed up so late waiting for Harry.

 

“But we,” Gemma pointed between herself and Molly, “do need to leave soon.”

 

Molly nodded and finished her breakfast quickly. She was looking forward to going back to sleep on the way up to Glasgow, despite the fact that she’d always wanted to visit Scotland and would normally have been excited to see the scenery. Yet, she slept the whole way there, and when she and Gemma arrived, they met Harry before his show. 

 

He was wandering around before soundcheck, clearing trying to work off a hangover with his sunglasses still on inside and a hat pulled down low. He glanced up at them and smiled sheepishly when he saw the pair. 

 

“Hey! Sorry about last night, I have no idea what happened.” Harry apologized and gave Molly a friendly hug. “Literally, I don’t know what happened. One minute I was having a few pints with the lads, next thing I know I’m on Col’s couch wearing a shirt that didn’t belong to me.” Harry laughed, and Molly cheered up a bit seeing him smile like that.

 

“I’m just glad you’re safe,” she smiled, and wanted to lean in to hug him again, but not out in the open like this. “I missed you, though,” she added quietly.

 

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” he answered more seriously, and smiled back at her.

 

_ ‘Promises are broken like stitches…’ _ The lyrics rolled through Molly’s brain, and she pushed them aside.  _ ‘Just because Harry promised he’d be home last night and he ended up in Scotland instead, doesn’t mean he’s going to break every promise now,’ _ Molly reminded herself and tried to cheer up. They only had a day or so before he had to leave for his next show, yet this time, Molly would stay behind in London with Gemma.

 

“I’d like that,” Molly smiled back at him.

 

Harry managed to get through the show just fine, even though he wasn’t feeling that great. He made a joke about wearing a kilt, and tried out his best Scottish accent - which amused the audience greatly. By the time the show ended, he was exhausted after his nearly sleepless adventure the night before, and fell right asleep when he and Molly reached their hotel room. 

 

The next morning he and Molly slept in late together and had breakfast around noon. They only had a few hours before Harry was scheduled to leave for his next tour stop in Stockholm, and they spent every moment together making up for lost time, and time they had yet to lose. They didn’t really want to talk about it, but neither of them knew when they would see each other next. Harry’s tour would take him across Europe, and then to the other side of the world for his shows in Asia and Australia, yet Molly was headed in the opposite direction, back to New York. 

  
  


**Part 2**

  
  


It had been meer hours since Harry left Molly in Glasgow, but he already missed her. He texted her and tried calling her a few times, but she didn’t answer. He assumed she and Gemma were still traveling, so she had her phone off. He sulked around his hotel his hotel room for a bit, feeling sorry for himself and wishing he were home with her, but that didn’t make him feel any better. Harry was in a glum mood, and almost told whoever was knocking on the door to shove it. Except, it was his bandmates Adam and Sarah, and they were too nice to be rude to like that.

 

“We’re going out tonight, want to come?” Adam asked when Harry finally opened the door.

 

“I don’t know, we have a show tomorrow, it’s late,” Harry checked the time and realized it was 8PM - not actually that late.

 

“Come on, I think I’ve caught that ‘Stockholm Syndrome’ you wrote about,” Sarah joked, knowing the song was not actually about the city they were currently in - or even the actual syndrome. But it got a smile out of Harry, so she didn’t care.

 

“I’m just not feeling it, that’s all.” Harry shrugged, and the smile vanished.

 

“We just wanted to check out a club my friend recommended, that’s all. Get a drink, maybe dance a bit - you don’t even have to have fun, if you don’t want to.” Adam teased, and again, Harry couldn’t help but smile at their attempts to keep his mind occupied while he was away from Molly. “It’s not your average club, it has a bit of a bohemian feel to it and doesn't play traditional club music. I think you’ll like it, actually.” 

 

“Really?” Harry tilted his head and thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t even know what to wear…”

 

“You look fine in that,” Sarah gestured to his current outfit of black skinny jeans, his favorite boots, and a t-shirt.

 

“Okay, I guess. I’ll just grab my jacket and a hat.” Harry finally agreed, and Sarah and Adam smiled.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Molly and Gemma sat across from each other on the train, opting to take the train back from Glasgow rather than fly, just for a change. Molly was excited to see the scenery, too, and kept asking Gemma if this was where the train to Hogwarts was filmed.

 

“No, I don’t think so, but let’s look it up.” Gemma laughed and pulled out her phone, only to frown at the lack of bars showing. “Ugh, no service.”

 

“Me neither,” Molly checked her phone. “But Hogwarts was in Scotland, right?” She asked. 

 

“I think part of the train ride to Hogwarts was shot in Scotland, but I don’t know where. We’re in England now, anyway,” Gemma sighed. This was going to be a long ride.

 

“Do they serve alcohol on this train?” Molly asked, and Gemma perked up.

 

“Yes, and that’s exactly what I need right now.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


The club was, as Adam had described, not ‘usual’ and Harry did actually like it - after he loosened up with a few drinks. He didn’t really feel like dancing, so he sat at the bar while Adam and Sarah had fun on the dance floor. Nobody seemed to bother him there, and either they didn’t recognize him as Harry Styles, or they didn’t care.  After a few drinks, Harry started talking to whomever was around him about whatever popped into his mind.

 

Niall’s ‘On my Own’ started playing, and Harry perked up. “Hey! This is my mate Niall!” He loudly announced to the girl next to him. 

 

“Oh really?” She asked, sounding like she didn’t believe him.

 

“Yeah.” He nodded and smiled. “I love this song, and his whole album, really. He’s doing so well, I’m so- I’m so proud of him.” Harry almost got a bit choked up and had to take a deep breath. “I’m going to put this on twitter,” he said out loud to himself, and pulled out his phone to tweet.

 

_ * _ _ I don't need no one, have too much fun out here on my own _

 

Harry put down his phone after sending out a line from the song on twitter, thinking that was enough. He thought Molly would be proud of him for remembering to use his social media, and then got sad all over again. “My girl- um, my good friend really likes him too, and she said this is her favorite song of his.”

 

“It’s a good song,” the girl replied disinterestedly as she waited for her drink.

 

“It is, and I really relate to it right now, since I’m on my own.” Harry sounded distant, and the girl finally turned to pay attention to him.

 

“Aren’t you here with your friends?” She asked and pointed toward Adam and Sarah.

 

“Yeah, but, I mean, I’m  _ on my own _ , like, I’m alone.” He restated, trying to clarify what he meant.

 

“Oh, so you’re single?” Now she really seemed interested in him, and moved a little closer.

 

“Uh... “ Harry’s eyes got wide and he tried to think of the right thing to say. That wasn’t what he’d been trying to imply, yet, he knew he was supposed to appear single until the rumors cleared up. “Uh, yes. Yes, of course, free as a bird.” Harry tried to sound convincing, and it was good enough for the girl. 

 

“Then let me buy you a drink, maybe?” She leaned closer.

 

“No, I couldn’t accept that,” Harry laughed, since he was a multi-millionaire, and she looked like she had a much more normal income. “If anything, I should buy you a drink.”

 

Her eyes shot open. “Well I certainly wouldn’t object to that.”

 

“Absolutely, why not?” Harry got the bartender’s attention and asked if he could cover the girl’s bill. “Pay it forward, you know? Spread the love, or whatever.” He said to the girl, though she seemed confused at his words.

 

“Okay...So, do you want to, like, dance now?” She tilted her head and tried to figure Harry out.

 

“Fuck it, why not?” Harry slid off the barstool he had been occupying all night and followed the girl on to the dance floor. ‘On My Own’ had long since ended and moved onto another song with a beat Harry found easy to dance to in his inebriated state, and the girl fell into step with him. 

 

Sarah and Adam found him a while later. Harry really wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but that girl was still by his side, and he still had no clue what her name was.

 

“Glad to see you finally loosened up a bit!” Adam said, though there was a look in his eye Harry couldn’t quite interpret. Was he worried? Or concerned?

 

“You might want to tone it down a bit, though,” Sarah leaned in and added.

 

“Why? Oh, do you think I’ve had too much to drink?” Harry tried to quietly ask them.

 

“Just be careful, that’s all,” Sarah advised hesitantly. 

 

“Oh, right, we’ve got a show tomorrow. Shit what time is it?” Harry scrambled to find his phone to check the time, but couldn’t find it.

 

“It’s almost 1AM so we were thinking of heading back.” Adam answered.

 

“That’s probably smart,” Harry replied and followed them toward the door. He hadn’t meant to drink so much, and he didn’t even want to think about how he’d feel tomorrow morning, but at least he didn’t feel quite so lonely anymore.

  
  


* * *

 

Molly and Gemma stumbled back to Gemma’s late that evening, having taken their drinking from the train to a bar, then finally home. Gemma pulled out a bottle of ‘something special’ and poured Molly and herself one (or a few) last drink(s) for the evening.

 

“Molly, you’ve been checking your phone all evening...is it Harry?” Gemma asked and slid Molly’s refilled glass over to her.

 

“I’m waiting for him to respond to a text.” Molly stumbled on the words.  _ ‘Even my phone misses your call….’  _ She thought, wondering if this is what Harry meant when he wrote the lyrics to From the Dining Table. 

 

“He’s probably busy, don’t worry about it.”

 

“But he’s been busy all evening, and he texted me -probably while we were on the train- that he was lonely, and he missed me.”

 

“Poor Harry.” Gemma answered almost sarcastically.

 

“I miss him too, and…” Molly tried to form the words but her head was not fully in gear.

 

“It’ll be okay, Molls, he’s just across the North Sea in Sweden - it’s really not that far.” Gemma tried to cheer her up, but Molly inexplicably became flustered.

 

“You don’t have all the facts,” Molly started, thinking that quoting ‘The Office’ was the best way to explain her feelings.

 

“What?” Gemma laughed, not catching onto this, despite the quote having recently become a popular meme.

 

“I love him.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I included the meme in case you aren’t familiar wtih it!) :D
> 
> There’s a lot going on in his chapter, sorry! I mixed part of the next chapter with this one, and I think that made things seem a little choppy. The last chapters between now and the end (ch. 50) are probably going to be like that or at least odd lengths, since I have them all outlined a bit.
> 
> Have any of you seen any of his newer shows? I think it’s so funny he’s playing ‘their song’ now (IICF)!! And he’s opening with Only Angel, something Molly suggested to him!
> 
> I made up the names of Harry’s ‘friends’ from back home, I have no idea who his childhood friends are xD
> 
> PS. someone left a hilarious comment on the previous chapter! I think they might have gotten me confused with Molly (a fictional character) :p


	44. Chapter 44

Molly awoke in Gemma’s guest bed with a groan and covered her head with a pillow. They had ended up drinking quite a bit yesterday. Yet, now Molly had a hangover, and she dared not move in case it sent the room spinning again.

 

Despite this, her buzzing phone forced her out of bed much earlier than she would have wished. She had dozens of texts from Alexa and Lily gushing about the new pictures of Harry from last night, and some cryptic lyrics he had tweeted. Molly read through the messages in their group chat (most of them were between Alexa and Lily) to figure out what the heck was going on.

 

_ L: OH MY GOD!!! IS THAT THE SECRET GIRLFRIEND?? _

 

_ A: IM SCREAMING!!! _

 

_ L: and the tweet?!?!?!!? _

 

_ A: RIGHT? LIKE WTF HARRY!!!  _

 

_ L: he’s sending mixed signals I cAN’t tAkE It!!!! _

 

This continued for about 20 more texts which Molly skimmed through, before checking out the ‘cryptic lyric tweet’ in question. 

 

_ M: Guys that’s a line from Niall’s On My Own, he’s probably just being supportive of his friend _

 

_ A: I know!!! He’s saying he’s on his own, like, he’s single, yet then he dances with this girl all night and buys her like 7 drinks??? _

 

_ M: what _

 

Molly’s heart started to race and she felt sick -and it wasn’t from the hangover. He bought her 7 drinks? And they danced all night? To the- Molly stopped herself from thinking the words 'the best song ever’, since this was not the time for quoting One Direction lyrics.

 

_ L: Yes OMG he paid her whole bar tab for the night and then they danced for like an hour, and she was all over him! He didn’t seem to mind it too much ; ) _

 

Molly again thought she was going to puke, and tried to keep her head on straight.  _ ‘I’ll just text Harry, and he’ll tell me what really happened. Who knows where Alexa and Lily heard this?’ _

 

Molly opened tumblr and sure enough, those pictures where everywhere, along with countless rumors that this was the ‘secret girlfriend’ Daisy had accidentally mentioned. Molly rolled her eyes at their speculation, but still felt very uneasy about the situation, and called Harry. When he didn’t pick up, Molly dragged herself downstairs to find Gemma.

 

“Good morning, luv,” Gemma said almost teasingly. “You look like a mess.”

 

“Thanks, I feel like it too.” Molly groaned as she sat at the table. 

 

“Coffee?” Gemma offered, but poured Molly a cup anyway.

 

“Please.” Molly took a deep breath, added some milk to her coffee, and sighed. “What was your brother up to last night?”

 

“How should I know? I’m not his keeper,” Gemma laughed, until she saw the worried look in Molly’s eyes. “Why? What has he done.”

 

“I don’t know, nothing probably,” Molly shrugged and took a sip of coffee. “He went to a club with Adam and Sarah in Stockholm, got pretty drunk, and danced with a random girl all night.”

 

Gemma didn’t say anything, she just sighed disappointedly and shook her head. “He really knows how to mess up a good thing.” 

 

“I can’t even imagine what he was thinking?!?” Molly nearly wailed, but tried to keep calm. She wasn’t sure if she was mad or sad or, like Gemma, disappointed. Like, maybe she had been expecting this all along?

 

Gemma reached across the table to place her hand gently on Molly’s arm. “I’m sure he has an explanation of some sorts, so don’t jump to conclusions before you’ve heard his side of the story. Have you tried calling him?”

 

“Yeah, but the line was busy or something; it went to voicemail.” Molly checked her phone again for a response from Harry. “I just…” She sighed again and closed her eyes. “Sometimes I pinch myself, like this is too good to be real. Like, how could I actually be dating the celebrity I had a major crush on in high school and college? It’s so unlikely, and some days I wonder if I’ve imagined this whole thing?”

 

“Well, you certainly wouldn’t be sitting here in my kitchen if you had,” Gemma added with a half smile.

 

“It would be a bit creepy if I were,” Molly tried to laugh, but couldn’t find it in her. “But now it feels real, like a proper relationship, not some fairytale fanfiction I might have imagined.”

 

“I guess that’s just part of a relationship, and considering what you told me last night, you’re pretty serious about it now.” 

 

Molly froze at Gemma’s words and tried to recall last night. What had she said to Gemma? Her memories were muddy and blurry at best. “What?”

  
  


* * *  
  
  


Harry woke up with a splitting headache, and cursed himself for not drinking enough water last night. As he slowly sat up, the events of the previous evening slowly filtered into his mind in bits and pieces. His phone buzzed on the nightstand, still plugged in and charging from the night before.

 

_ ‘That’s where I left that…’ _  He thought, and tried to make the annoying sound stop.

 

“Harry!” A woman screamed on his phone.

 

“Shit, I’ve accidentally answered it,” he muttered to himself and considered hanging up on her. She yelled his name again and he added, “maybe if I hang up she’ll go away?” 

 

“Harry I can hear you talking to yourself…” she scolded.

 

“Sorry Jocelyn,” he mumbled into the phone and braced himself for the verbal berating he was sure to receive. “Listen, about last night...it's not what it-”

 

“It was an excellent diversion from the rumors, and from the truth. That was actually quite clever of you, or, was this Molly's idea?” Jocelyn asked, and the pit of Harry's stomach fell at the mention of his girlfriend.

 

“Umm, can I call you back?” He stammered as guilt and regret washed over him.

 

“No I’ll be quick; I actually called to tell you I had gotten you into the lineup of a few of the Jingle Balls in December, after your tour ends.” Jocelyn paused and waited for Harry to respond, but his mind was swarming with other thoughts at the moment. “Harry?”

 

“Yeah, yeah great,” he mumbled, having not really heard what she'd said. He barely noticed when they ended their call, as he sat dumbstruck by his own actions.

 

What was he thinking? Harry tried to figure this out, but all he knew was that he had not intended to hurt Molly's feelings.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“You quoted ‘The Office’ -the American version- and, I’m pretty sure you said you loved my little brother,” Gemma awkwardly explained, grimacing slightly. 

 

“Oh.” Molly’s eyes’ widened at this, and suddenly the memory came flooding into her brain. “OH!” She sat up straight and looked up at Gemma. “You mean I said all of that out loud?”

 

Gemma nodded. “Was that just the alcohol talking, or…?”

 

“....yeah. The ‘or’ part, though yes, also the alcohol, too.” Molly answered and hung her head in embarrassment.

 

“Okay,” Gemma nodded. “And, I take it you haven’t told Harry?”

 

“No, and I can’t; it can’t be like that,” Molly shook her head.

 

“Like what?” Gemma asked.

 

“We’re not there yet, I don’t think, and...I can’t be the first one to say it,” Molly said after a pause.

 

“Has it ever occured to you that Harry is thinking the same thing?” Gemma asked. “That he can’t be the first one to say it, too?”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry paced his room after he got off the phone with Jocelyn and tried to clear his head, but before he could really think through what he was going to say, he had pulled out his phone and called Molly.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“He's calling! He's calling,” Molly nearly dropped her phone on the table when she saw his name appear on her ringing phone. “Do I answer it? Should I be mad at him?”

 

Gemma shrugged. “Do whatever you like, I'll give you some privacy,” she said and slid her chair away from the table to get up.

 

“No, no please stay!” Molly grabbed her hand, so Gemma reluctantly sat back down at the table. “For moral support,” Molly grinned overenthusiastically to thank Gemma, before finally answering her phone. “Hey,” she said simply, still not sure if she should be upset with him or not.

 

“Hey,” Harry replied, with about the same lack of emotion. Neither of them really knew what to say, so as usual, Molly broke the silence.

 

“Did you have fun last night?”

 

“Uh, yeah, I guess, but the thing is...I didn't mean for it to seem like...none if that was planned or anything. I didn't even mean to drink that much, but I was...I missed you, and I, uh,” Harry's mouth suddenly went dry and he felt out of breath for no apparent reason.  _ 'Just say it’ _ , Harry willed himself to complete the sentence and finish his thought, but he just couldn't. “And, I'm sorry.”

 

Gemma shook her head and quietly mouthed, “You got this, I’m out,” to Molly before slipping away. 

 

“You bought her a drink, or drinks rather, and danced pretty close together. Who is she even? Some random girl?” Molly was trying not to get upset, since Harry sounded remorseful and like he truly regretted his actions, but it was clear from her tone of voice she was not happy.

 

“I just covered her bar tab for the night to be kind, you know the pay it forward thing? People still do that, right?” Harry sighed. “And I didn’t realize how close she was dancing to me. Every time she touched me I moved further away, but she didn’t get the hint. And yeah, she’s just some random girl who sat next to me, and was kind enough to listen to my drunk rambling about Niall’s song.” He squeezed his eyes shut and could only imagine the disappointed and hurt look on Molly’s face right now, and the fact that he had caused her to feel this way made him feel sick with guilt.

 

“Oh Harry,” Molly laughed softly as she picture that image in her head. “I’m sure you did have the best intentions, but you have to think of how this will look on the outside. I’m not mad at you, at all, but you must realize how this seems, right?”

 

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, “And Jocelyn actually called me to say it was ‘good press’ or something, that it helped with the girlfriend rumors, but I don’t really care. I hurt your feelings, and for that, I am incredibly sorry. I wish I could say this to you in person, and show you properly how much I regret ever leaving my hotel room last night. But Adam and Sarah thought it would cheer me up, since they knew how...um, sad, I was about having to leave you behind.”

 

Molly’s emotions had done a complete 180 over the course of this conversation. Just hearing him say these words only confirmed what she’d known: she had nothing to worry about. She suddenly thought of that meme from The Office, and what she had told Gemma, but Harry continued talking.

 

“I have to leave for soundcheck soon, but...are you going to watch my concert tonight?” Harry asked with trepidation.

 

“Of course, I’ve been watching them all on live stream.” Molly had even planned her flight back to New York around this, so she wouldn’t miss his show. 

 

“Okay, um, yeah.” Harry smiled, but couldn’t think of anything else to say, so they ended their conversation soon after.

 

That evening, Molly and Gemma set up the live stream to watch Harry’s concert in Stockholm. Things went as usual for the most part - he made joke about Ikea, said something about ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. When it came to the part of his setlist where he usually played ‘Girl Crush’ he surprised the audience (and Molly) by playing ‘their song’, If I Could Fly. It was just him and his guitar with no accompaniment, and he seemed incredibly emotional. 

 

Both Gemma and Molly worried that Harry might cry -right there on the stage in front of everyone- but he made it though the song okay. After the song ended he did seem to take a bit longer putting his guitar away and grabbing a drink of water, but he was smiling by the time he faced the audience again. 

 

Near the end of the show, Harry played ‘Strong’ and it again felt very personal for him, and Molly. Just like the last time he’d sang that song -with Liam back in London- Harry paused and practically spoke the words ‘I don’t care, I’m not scared of love’ and the audience went crazy. 

 

Harry kept these changes to his selt-list for his next few shows in Germany, Amsterdam, and Milan, and each night Molly watched his concert she got the same butterflies as he sang ‘their’ song to her. The fans didn’t think much of the change in the setlist, since the rumors of his ‘secret girlfriend’ were starting to die down now that Harry was actively working to refute them. 

 

It was actually Molly’s idea, and Harry was quite reluctant at first, but his manager and PR team reaffirmed him that it was a good idea. After his escapade to the club in Stockholm, many of his fans seemed to forget about his supposed girlfriend, or assumed they had broken up. Molly followed fan reactions closely, and each time Harry appeared out in public alone, or with his band, the fans/media seemed to forget a little more about the rumored girlfriend. So, even though Harry still felt guilty about going out to a club, he knew it meant that Molly might be able to join him on tour again without the risk of being exposed to the fans. This time, however, he did not drink as much, and certainly didn’t try to be nice and cover some random girl’s bar tab. There might have been a bit of innocent dancing, but Harry stuck with his bandmates and made sure there was ample space between him and whomever he danced with. 

 

Molly didn’t necessarily enjoy seeing the pictures of these events all over twitter or tumblr the next day, but she knew it was for a ‘good cause’ and Harry was, essentially, doing it for her. They spoke often, and Harry made sure not to misplace his phone as frequently anymore so Molly wouldn’t worry.

 

“So, how’s Italy? I’m jealous!” Molly asked during their nightly call on Harry’s last night in Italy.

 

“It’s nice, but...it’d be better if you were here.” He answered.

 

“I know, but...” Molly tried to word this right. “I’d rather they not know about us.”

 

“Right,” Harry agreed, reminding himself that this was hopefully temporary. “Maybe, next time, we can enjoy all of this together.”

 

Molly’s heart fluttered at the mention of a ‘next time’ and again wondered if Harry felt the same way she did. She had considered saying something, but she didn’t want to say that kind of thing over the phone, and worried that it would change things between them too much if he didn’t reciprocate those feelings.

 

Near the end of their call, Harry got quiet. “So, this is my last night in Europe.”

 

“Oh, right.” Molly checked his schedule and realized he was going to the other side of the world now, the farthest apart they’d been (since they started dating). “That doesn’t really change anything, though, we’ll still talk every night, though the time will be different.”

 

“Yeah,” Harry agreed. “You’ll be eating breakfast now, instead of lunch.” He tried to laugh, and Molly smiled at his attempt at a joke, but deep down she felt it would somehow be different. He was going to be on the other side of the world, and even though he was just a phone call away still, it would somehow be different. 

 

“We’ll make it work, though,” Molly added. “I miss you.”

 

As they hung up, Harry yet again decided he had one more 1D song he wanted to cover, and set off to find his band. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another 1D song Harry?? What do you guys think it is? ( hint: Molly kind of quoted it in this chapter) (and it's not the Best Song Ever xD)
> 
> Happy Easter!!!
> 
> Thank you for reading, voting, and commenting! :D
> 
> Harry covering If I could Fly, if you haven't seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5m5mLxwpiE


	45. Chapter 45

Harry woke up from a nap on his long flight to Singapore. He looked around the plane at his sleeping bandmates and sighed, yet again feeling alone. He opened his phone to watch a movie or something to keep him distracted, but he got an even better idea.

 

_ ‘I never finished reading Molly’s fanfiction….’ _ Last time he’d read it, he somehow felt oddly connected to Molly, and it helped him miss her less. Harry smiled to himself and looked up the 1D fanfiction site again. He found her story, and settled into his seat as he clicked on the next chapter.

 

~Chapter 2: In which Holly has a secret admirer 

 

They day after seeing One Direction in concert, and getting ice cream with them afterwards, Holly sat in class tapping her pencil and day-dreaming about a certain boybander. 

 

“Holly?” Her teacher asked, and she snapped her head forward, thinking he had called on her.

 

“Yes?” Holly asked, not having a clue what they had been discussing.

 

“You have a delivery, some flowers…” He read the note. “A secret admirer it seems…” He smiled, and her class ‘awwed’.

 

Holly blushed and came to the front of the class to accept the flowers, ignoring her classmates comments. “Who’re they from?” Her friend asked as she returned to her seat, and Holly shrugged.

 

“No idea,” she shrugged. Yet, Holly did in fact have some idea. Five ideas. Or, just one, really.~

 

Harry stopped reading as his assistant, Karen, approached him to discuss the itinerary. As much as he was dying to see who Holly’s flowers were from (he hoped they were from himself, but Holly seemed quite taken with Niall), he also didn’t want anyone to catch him reading fanfiction - especially fanfiction about himself, written by his girlfriend.

 

“We’re going to be quite busy in the week leading up to your show. We have a few things to shoot, and then of course we have to film the Victoria Secret fashion show…” Karen continued, and Harry nodded absently as he listened.

  
  


* * *

 

Back in New York - or Connecticut rather, since she was staying with her father - Molly tried to keep herself busy. She had been trying to keep her mind occupied since she left London nearly a week ago, but there was only so much she could do in suburban Connecticut. She went into the city a few time to meet up with Alexa and Lily, and to see her mom, but she still had too much free time to wallow about being away from Harry while he was on tour. She had her advice column with Gemma, and that helped, but while Harry was on a short break between shows, she missed being able to see him nearly every other night through the live streams of his concerts. 

 

One afternoon while her father was out for work, Molly invited Lily and Alexa over to hang out and do girly things like drink and paint their nails. Lily talk non-stop about her new boyfriend Jeff, and Molly internally laughed every time Lily said his name. 

 

“What's so funny?” Lily asked when Molly slipped and accidentally snickered out loud.

 

“Nothing, I just picture Harry's old manager Jeff Azoff every time you say his name, and that smug look he always had on his face, and the way he kind of smelled like money…”

 

“Why do you know what he smelled like?” Alexa asked.

 

Molly shrugged and blushed. “Just guessing.”

 

“I forgot he wasn't Harry's manager anymore. What's his new manager’s name? Joe or something?” Alexa asked and cocked her head. 

 

“Yeah, something like that…” Lily nodded disinterestedly, eager to bring the conversation topic back to her and her new boyfriend. 

 

“It's Jocelyn…” Molly added quietly. 

 

“Right, she's the woman that was seen going into his dressing room with him after the girlfriend rumor came out!” Alexa exclaimed.

 

“How do you know her name?” Lily laughed and teasingly hit Molly's arm.

 

“I don't know, I pay attention,” she shrugged and brushed it off.

 

“So, you must have seen the latest pictures of him out and about in Singapore?” Alexa raised her eyebrow suggestively, and Molly froze.

 

“What pictures?” She had been trying to avoid tumblr and twitter, because it only made her miss Harry more.

 

“He’s been seen with a baby carriage!” Alexa laughed and pulled out her phone to look up the pictures.

 

“A baby carriage?” Molly racked her brain for any explanation. She knew he was filming the Victoria Secret fashion show sometime this week, but it didn’t seem likely this was part of that. She thought Harry had mentioned a few other things he had to shoot, but he was vague and didn’t say what they were. 

 

“Yeah, look at this:” Alexa shoved her phone at Molly, and she quickly glanced through the pictures of Harry pushing a baby carriage with some (very pretty) girl. Alexa scrolled further and nearly shrieked in excitement when she found new picture. “Who is this?” She held up her phone for Lily to see and the two girls hyperventilated at the newly posted paparazzi pictures of Harry with a (very) pregnant woman. 

 

“Oh my God he's trying to kill us!” Lily howled,and Alexa appeared to be shaking.

 

Molly, shaking for a different reason, grabbed her phone and texted Harry while they were distracted. With the time difference he was probably asleep, but she knew there must be some kind of reasonable explanation behind this. Yet right now, her brain was going crazy with the 'secret baby’ theories Alexa and Lily were spouting off (mainly, 'maybe Daisy wasn't the only one!’)

 

Molly poured herself another drink and tried to calm down -since she had no idea what was going on and shouldn't jump to conclusions- but the logical part of her brain was rather dormant this evening. She set her drink down harder than she meant to, catching the attention of her friends.

 

“Are you okay?” Alexa asked when she saw the concerned expression on Molly's face.

 

“You look kind of pale, are you feeling alright?” Lily added and moved closer to her.

 

“I'm fine, sorry, the glass just slipped.” Molly tried to laugh it off, but her friends were not convinced.

 

“That's like your fourth drink since we got here, are you sure everything's okay?” Alexa asked.

 

“Is it your parents? I know how hard divorce can be, and if you need to talk we’re here.” Lily offered, but Molly shook her head.

 

“No, it's nothing like that, but thanks.” She smiled politely and looked up at her two closest friends. Something in their expressions wore away Molly's already weakening outer facade,and she did something she had never done in front of her friends, or hardly anyone, really: she cried.

 

“Oh, Molly's come here,” they drew her into a group hug. “Whatever it is I'm sure we can talk it through and fix it.” Lily cooed sympathetically.

 

“And if we can't fix it, we’ll bury it with ice cream,” Alexa added.

 

“It's…” Molly managed to choke out between sobs. “It's my boyfriend.”

 

“What has that bastard done?” Alexa asked, ready to fight.

 

_ “Alexa,” _ Lily whispered and shook her head. “What's wrong, Molly?”

 

“I don't know, and I think I might be overthinking this and making assumptions, but I haven't gotten to see him a lot recently because...of work things...but, I’m worried he might have cheated, or something.” Molly rambled, and felt herself spiraling near the end.

 

“And why’s that, hon?” Lily asked and wrapped her arm supportively around her shoulders.

 

“He's been kind of secretive and vague recently, and that's not too unusual for him, but usually I'm there with him, and I can see what he's really trying to say. Communication is not his strongest point,” Molly added with a hint of a smile.

 

“Well that's something you two have in common,” Alexa joked, but Molly couldn't help but agree.

 

“Yeah, and that might be a part of the problem. I can't bring myself to tell him how I really feel about him, because I'm worried he doesn't feel the same way.” Molly explained with a sigh. “And now, I’m not even sure how I feel.”

 

“I get why you’re worried; if I'd been cheated on before, I'd second-guess anything a future boyfriend did after that.” Lily said.

 

“Ugh, I'd forgotten about chlamydia-boy.” Alexa scoffed at the memory of Molly's cheating ex-boyfriend. “He was such a douche and didn't deserve you.”

 

“Thanks.” Molly smiled politely, and Lily looked like a lightbulb had flickered on over her head.

 

“Wait, is he the reason you didn't date anyone in college?” Lily asked with suspicion, though she was sure she knew the answer.

 

“You haven't dated anyone since freshman year of college??” Alexa asked in disbelief.

 

“No, I tried to set her up with so many guys, but she always found something wrong with them after one date.” Lily explained in mock annoyance.

 

“I'm just a good judge of character, I guess,” Molly shrugged with a smirk. “Or, I was, until...” She couldn't bring herself to say his name.

 

“Harry,” Alexa finished her sentence for her, and Molly froze. 

 

She racked her brain, but couldn't remember if she'd told them his name (or maybe even drunkenly told them  _ which  _ Harry she was dating).

 

Sensing her confusion, Lily explained that they'd accidentally answered her phone once when they were at a bar, and spoke with him. Molly vaguely remembered this, and relaxed a bit.

 

“I think you might just be a little paranoid, but talk to him if you're worried.” Alexa advised, and Molly nodded. Eager to change the subject, she grabbed the TV remote and suggested they watch a movie. Lily and Alexa chatted throughout the movie, but Molly's head was far away.

 

Was she just being paranoid because she'd been cheated on before? Or was her suspicion justified?

  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry found a moment to himself backstage while recording the Victoria Secret fashion show, and pulled out his phone to finish reading that chapter of Molly’s fanfiction. Holly had just gotten a bouquet of flowers from her ‘secret admirer’, and Harry couldn’t wait to find out who it was.

 

~Holly carried her flowers home from school with a smile on her face. She couldn’t believe he would send her flowers! Holly was surprised he had even been listening when she said her favorite flowers were tulips, yet here she was holding a bouquet of pink tulips - her favorite color! Still glowing with happiness, Holly put the flowers in a vase when she got home and pulled out her phone to text her suspected secret admirer:

 

“Thank you for the flowers, my classmates were jealous 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait between updates! I’m very excited about the next chapter, so hopefully it won’t take me as long to write it! : )


	46. Chapter 46

Harry read over Molly’s text when he awoke, and smiled.

 

*I just thought you’d like some cheering up

He replied, and rolled out of bed. Harry was glad he could bring a smile to his girlfriend’s face, even while halfway around the world. He knew she must be feeling as down as he was about their separation, and just wanted her to be happy. Yet, she didn’t mention anything about ‘Holly’ or ask how he knew her favorite flowers….maybe he’d gotten it wrong? Maybe that wasn’t her fanfiction after all?

 

“Harry!” Someone knocked at his hotel room door, and he jumped out of bed quickly.

 

“Coming!” He grabbed some clothes and opened the door.

 

“We want to go over the final cut of the video before it airs tomorrow, okay?” Several people barraged into his hotel room, and Harry tried to fully wake up.

 

“Okay, that’s great. I’d love to see the final cut.” He put on a smile and sat down with his team to review the footage.

 

Well into reviewing footage, Harry finally checked his phone and saw all the texts from Molly:

 

*What are the flowers really for?

 

*Who’s the pregnant girl?

 

*Who’s baby is in the carriage? 

 

*Is this an illegitimate child???

 

_ ‘Oh shit…’  _ Harry thought and stepped out to respond to her. His heart raced, and his head couldn’t wrap around what she was saying. 

 

*No, no, it’s a surprise ; )

 

This text received no immediate response, but Harry hoped it was the time change, and maybe she was asleep. He took a deep breath, and tried to think straight. 

 

*Harry, what is going on

 

He read Molly’s text, and realized perhaps his secretiveness was a bit misleading on her side. Harry tried to back-track, but he was at a loss for words, and somehow all he could think of was:

 

*Sorry, it’ll make sense soon

 

Harry shook his head, and knew that wasn’t a good explanation. He tried to think of something better to say, but Mitch came to find him. 

 

“Hey man, want to run through that new 1D cover you wanted to try out? And when did you want to play it?”  Mitch asked.

 

“I’m not sure...maybe we won’t need it after all,” Harry shook his head. Before he could say anything else, Karen appeared and said Harry was needed again. 

 

“Maybe another time,” he said to Mitch before reluctantly following Karen back into his hotel room. As much as he loved his job, sometimes (like right now) he hated all the complications that came long with it.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Gemma!” Molly screamed once Harry’s sister answered the phone. “Gemma please tell me you know what’s going on?”

 

“Umm,” Gemma blinked and tried to focus. “In general, or more specifically? God it’s early, this better be important.”

 

“Hey, I waited several hours to call you so I wouldn’t wake up up too early. And yes, it is important,” Molly’s voice broke as she quietly explained. “I think Harry might be cheating on me!”

 

“Woah there, what is that?” Gemma laughed. “Harry would never, he’s madly...mad...He really likes you.”

 

Molly was not convinced. “He sent me flowers -my favorite flower, I don’t know how he figured that one out- but he spelled my name wrong! That might have just been a typo, but why would he send me flowers out of the blue like that?”

 

“He cares about you, that’s all. Molls,” Gemma sighed and tried to think of the best way to fix this as she read through her emails, hoping to find something from Harry. “Just appreciate the flowers, okay?”

 

“Okay, maybe I’m just being paranoid, …” Molly trailed off as she stared at the pink tulips and again imagned all the reasons why he could have sent them. 

 

“Molly -honey- just, relax. You’re over-thinking things, I’m sure.” Gemma sighed as her eyes landed on a particular email, and bit her tongue from saying too much. “Just hang in there, okay?”

 

“I don’t know, I guess I have to,” Molly also sighed, but didn’t really feel any better about the situation. 

 

“Just don’t do anything until...until you have all the facts, or something,” Gemma added, and Molly finally agreed. Gemma looked down at her computer screen as she hung up. Their advice column had gotten an ‘anonymous’ submission that morning, which read:

 

‘Dear Gemma and Molly,

I need your help. I’ve messed up, and I don’t quite know how to fix it. I’ve tried sending my girlfriend her favourite flowers, I sang her favourite song for her, and I don’t know what else I can do to show her how I feel. I’m not good with words, and being away from her is tearing me apart.’

 

It was clearly from Harry, so Gemma texted him to see what was up. 

 

H:I have a surprise for her*

 

G:What is it? I think she’s getting suspicious*

 

H:I can’t tell?*

 

G:Okay….*

 

H:I’m shooting a video, and I want it to be a surprise when she sees it*

 

G:Harry, be careful. She’s freaking out, I think you need to tell her something*

 

H:It’ll be done soon, okay?*

 

Gemma sighed and responded to her younger brother:

 

G:Just don’t mess this up, okay?*

 

Gemma read through this conversation and texted Molly back:

 

*Don’t worry, it’ll be alright : D

 

Molly didn’t feel like everything would be alright, but she took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She had to take Gemma’s word for it, though at the moment she felt like she was losing her mind.

 

Molly sighed, and eventually drifted to sleep. She didn’t sleep well and when she woke up late the next morning, she somehow felt worse. She dragged herself to the kitchen to grab some breakfast, and sat at the table.

 

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” her mom teased, and joined her. “It’s nearly noon-time, hon.”

 

“I know,” Molly grumbled, and continued eating. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the notification:  _ new video posted to Harry Styles’ VEVO  _

 

Molly quickly clicked on it, curious to see what Harry had posted. Maybe this was what he had been talking about?

 

“Oh my god,” Molly gasped when she saw the title of the video.

 

“What is it?” Deb looked up.

 

“He made a music video for ‘Kiwi’.” Molly laughed and shook her head. “How did I not see this coming? He said he was going to have to do more promo for Kiwi if it was going to be his next single, so this makes perfect sense!”

 

“A video for ‘Kiwi’? Let’s see it!?” Deb scooted her chair closer and Molly propped her phone up on the table so they could both see it.

 

The video opened with a woman picking cigarettes out of a box one by one and throwing them out (or, working her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes). She then grabbed a bottle of liquor out of a man’s hand and smashed it on the ground, and she appeared to be yelling at him, or scolding him. The camera panned out, and Molly finally saw Harry in the background. He was reading a book, trying to mind his business, but kept glancing back over at the fighting couple.

 

“And I think she said,” Harry mouthed the lyrics along with the song, as if recounting a story, and the shot cut back to the girl.

 

“I’m having your baby!” She screamed at the guy, then looked at Harry as he watched the fight, “It’s none of your business!!”

 

The song continued on like this, with Harry as the reluctant witness to various couples and their journeys to parenthood. He ran into a very pregnant woman informing her baby daddy of his paternity at the library; he overheard a woman showing off her new born baby to her ex-boyfriend (the father) at the bus stop. Lastly, he ran into none other than Daisy Rutherford, and the young hockey player she had slept with months ago.

 

In this situation, Connor was explaining to Harry how Daisy had told him she was pregnant.

 

“And I think she said, I’m having your baby,” Connor recounted, and Daisy blushed.

 

“It’s none of your business,” she politely said to Harry.

 

The music video concluded with Harry walking down the road, seeing a somewhat pregnant woman and a guy, and turning to run the other way before he had to witness it yet again. 

 

“Wow, that was very impressive.” Her mom gushed as the video ended. “Did you help him with that?”

 

Molly was dumbstruck and merely shook her head. “I- I had no idea.”

 

“Well, Harry’s a smart boy if he came up with that,” Deb smiled. “Wasn’t that girl...I can’t remember her name, but the mini-Taylor Swift-”

 

“Daisy?” Molly interrupted, and her mom nodded. “Yeah, and that’s the guy she’s having a baby with? I hope this will quelle some of the rumors that Harry knocked her up.”

 

Deborah continued talking, but Molly suddenly realized something.  _ ‘The girls he has been seen with were just part of the video…’ _

 

“Honey?” Her mom asked when she realized Molly wasn’t listening. 

 

“Mom,” Molly started, as things slowly came into focus, and the one thing that really mattered became clear. “Mom, I love him.”

 

“Awww, Molly,” Deb leaned over and hugged her. “I’m happy for you.”

 

“You don’t think it’s too soon?” Molly asked. “I know we’ve been dating a few months, but it’s  _ Harry Styles  _ and I don’t want to mess this up.”

 

Deb smiled and rested her hand on her daughter’s arm. “Dear, it’s never too soon to say it if you mean it.”

 

Molly soaked in these words, and something flickered on in her head like a neon light.

 

“I have to tell him I love him.” She stood up and nearly knocked her chair over. “I have to tell him right now. But, in person.”

 

“Oh,” Deb cocked her head. “Isn’t he in Australia?”

 

“Doesn’t matter.” Molly left to pack her suitcase

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Harry had not heard from Molly since her last text over twelve hours ago. He realized he must have said something wrong, and had been wrong about ‘everything making sense’ once the Kiwi video came out. 

 

Maybe she hated it? Maybe she hadn’t even seen it?

 

Harry tried to brush this aside and get ready for his show. He paced back stage while his opening act played, and tried to tell himself everything was okay, even though it clearly was not.

 

“Five minutes, Harry,” the stage manager informed him, and he nodded. Harry eventually made his way stage-side and shook his head a couple times to get himself in the right mindset. 

 

_ ‘Just focus on the show, Harry, focus on the sh-’ _ his thought process was interrupted as he ran into someone. “M-Molly?”

 

“Hi,” she sounded out of breath, but her eyes were bright and full of some emotion Harry couldn’t quite pinpoint.

 

“What are you doing here?" Harry was surprised, but happy to see her. His head spun, and couldn’t quite piece together what was going on. Was he imagining this?? 

 

“I’ve always wanted to visit Australia,” she shrugged and nervously giggled.

 

“No, like, what are you doing here? Backstage, at my concert?” Harry tilted his head in confusion, but smiled, because he was happy to see her regardless of the circumstances. 

 

"Because," Molly paused and moved over as someone walked by them getting things ready to set the stage. "The thing is, because, well, Harry, I love you."

 

Molly and Harry froze as they heard the audience hush for a moment before erupting an a chorus of "aww's" and cheers.

 

"Oh my god," Molly grasped and took a step back.

 

"Is that-" Harry froze as his eyes settled on to the microphone stand a stage hand had set down next to them. "Is that on?" Harry asked, and his voice echoing throughout the auditorium answered his question. The crowd again screamed when they heard this, and Molly turned a thousand shades of red in embarrassment. She froze and looked Harry in the eye, trying to remember how to breath.

 

Time seemed to stop and an eternity passed as they both stared at each other in horror. Molly could not believe she had just accidentally revealed something so personal and private in such a public way - in front of an auditorium full of some of Harry's most avid fans. To Molly's surprise, Harry's shocked expression started to melt into a smile. His eyes softened first, and then the corners of his mouth twitched into a crooked grin.

 

"Really?" He nearly whispered, and moved closer to Molly - putting himself closer to that microphone. She tried to move him away from it, worried that maybe he didn't realize it was on, but he resisted and shook his head slightly.

 

Molly cocked her head and looked up at him questioningly. Harry just smiled back at her, confusing Molly even more. "Because," he continued, and they heard him blast over the speakers in the auditorium.

 

“Harry, you’re on,” the stage manager turned him toward the stage and Harry was suddenly on stage, under the spotlights, and in front of the hundreds of fans who had just heard his girlfriend admit she loved him. 

 

_ ‘Wait…’ _ Harry paused.  _ ‘She loves me. She loves me!!!” _

 

His face froze in an awkward smirk, and Harry turned to Mitch. “That song we practiced earlier? We need to play it now.” Mitch nodded and had a word with the rest of the band, while Harry turned to face the audience.

 

The crowd was chattering and abuzz with a level of energy Harry was neither used to nor prepared for. It was personal this time, but he somehow had to play it cool. He gave Mitch a nod, and he started playing. The audience listened closely as they tried to figure out what song it was, but he and Harry had re-worked the song in a way that made it nearly unrecognizable as a former One Direction song.

 

“People say we shouldn’t be together, we’re too young to know about forever,” Harry sang, and still, the audience didn’t recognize the song since they had re-written the song and a folk-rock sounding singer/songwriter song.

 

“But I say, they don’t know what they’re talk, talk, talking about….

 

“They don’t know about the things we do, they don’t know about the I love you’s…” As Harry and his band reached the chorus of the song, the audience recognized it as “They Don’t Know About Us” and burst into cheers. Some attempted to sing along, but the song was too different from the original to really follow along with.

 

Slowly, fans throughout the crowd put Molly’s accidental public confession of love for Harry with the sudden appearance of this song, and realized this wasn’t just a random introduction of a new 1D cover on Harry’s part. Yet instead of the usual screaming and squealing Harry was used to, there was an almost hushed sense of approval, of excitement that he’d found someone he cared about. 

 

Yet, both Harry and Molly were oblivious to this as they tried to get through the song and remain conscious, respectively.  It took nearly the entire song for Molly’s breathing to return to somewhat normal, and for the ringing in her hears to stop, before she could recognize the song.

 

_ ‘Wait, is he saying…?’ _ Molly looked out at Harry on stage, pleading with her eyes for an answer, but Harry carried on to the next song as normal.  _ ‘Does he love me too?’ _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so excited to finally post this! I’ve had the ending written for a while, and I’ve been working toward it over the past few chapters.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, the Kiwi music video is something I’ve been planning for a while. I hope my description makes sense, but I’d love to see this version!


	47. Chapter 47

  
  


“Molly!” Alexa screamed into the phone once Molly answered her call. “Molly, Harry has a girlfriend!”

 

“I know,” Molly blushed and giggled to herself, and glanced over at Harry next to her in bed.

 

They had, of course, ‘made up for lost time’ after his show last night, and spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms. Upon waking up to the many texts and missed calls from Alexa, Lily, and her other Harry-infatuated friends, Molly realized their little secret was (partially) out.

 

And surprisingly, Molly felt completely okay with that.

 

“And where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you all day?” Alexa whined.

 

“Sorry, my phone died; I just plugged it in,” Molly lied. She wasn’t quite ready to admit to her bestie that  _ she _ was the one dating Harry. She knew she’d have to eventually, but Molly hoped to be far away from her when the news broke. 

 

Okay, technically she was on the other side of the world -pretty far away- but Molly wasn’t sure how to explain it, or prove it was real.

 

Luckily, Harry had thought about this issue, and had (in his own words) a ‘completely logical solution’:

 

“Come to the ARIAs with me,” he beamed over breakfast once Molly had gotten off the phone.

 

“Like, as your date?” Molly balked.

  
“Yeah, as my girlfriend, I mean. I basically told the world I loved you last night, so this seems liked the next step, right?” He tilted his head in thought as this idea suddenly didn’t seem so smart anymore. 

 

Molly shrugged. “I guess at some point, but don’t you think we should let things settle down first? The fandom is on fire right now after what you said last night.”

 

“I think it’s best we nip it in the bud, set things straight before the rumors start flying again.” Harry explained, and Molly reluctantly acknowledged his sound reasoning.

 

“True, but…” It was all happening so fast. Was she ready to go public with him?

 

“Molly,” Harry leaned closer and took her hands. “I love you -I have for...I don’t know how long- and nothing’s going to change that.” Harry explained with a certain light in his eyes Molly hadn’t seen before. 

 

_ ‘He really does love me’ _ she thought, and smiled shyly.

 

“The fans will figure it out eventually, you know that, so it’s best we take control and set the story straight ourselves.” Harry continued.

 

Molly didn’t want to agree, but she had to admit his logic was sound. “I hate it when you’re right,” she groaned, and leaned closer to him.

 

“So you’ll do it?” His eyes opened wider, and smiled a full-dimbles smile that melted the last remaining ounces of Molly’s willpower. “You’ll come to the ARIAs with me?”

 

Molly still cringed at the idea, and tried to think of any excuse. “I don’t have a dress, and you’ve probably already RSVPed no plus-one, so…”

 

“Actually, ages ago Jeff said he’d be my ‘date’ so I have two seats reserved in my name.” Harry explained. “And we can easily get you a dress by then,” he added.

 

_ ‘Of course,’ _ Molly thought with a pout. “Speaking of Jeff, maybe we should check in with Jocelyn and your PR team to see what they think about this?”

 

“Good idea, I’ll call her right now,” Harry smiled and grabbed his phone.

 

Molly closed her eyes and sighed, as she knew what Jocelyn would say - because it's what Molly would recommend. It was for her own personal and selfish reasons that she wanted to keep their relationship between just the two of them -as it should be- but it wasn’t that simple.

 

Judging by the way Harry’s conversation was going with his manager, Molly knew she should just give up and stop fighting against the current. She was clearly the only one against this idea, something Harry confirmed when he finished his phone call with his manager.

 

“She not only thinks it’s a great idea, she’s even pulling a few favors to get you a dress to wear to the awards.” Harry smiled.

 

“Great,” Molly sighed. Of course Harry Styles’ girlfriend can’t just buy a dress from Macy’s to wear to an award ceremony with him.

 

“It’ll be okay, trust me. I know how much you don't like the way the media and the fans pay such close attention to me, so I understand why you are hesitant.” Harry put his hand comfortingly on her arm. “But we will never live in an AU where that doesn't happen, so-”

 

“Wait…” Molly's brain whirred into gear at the mention of an 'AU’.  _ 'Where would he have heard a term like that? Unless… Holly, the tulips…’  _ “Oh my God…. You read my fanfiction?!?!?”

 

“Umm…” Harry froze. He had never really thought about what he'd say if she confronted him on the subject. But, really there was only one thing he could say: the truth. “I missed you, that’s all. I'm sorry.”

 

Molly couldn't even be mad with an excuse like that. Sure, she was embarrassed, but once she got over that, she found it kind if endearing. Creepy, but endearing. “How did you even find it?”

 

“Um, Liam helped me out a bit, but I guess I got lucky. There was a lot to go through, so I went way back and scrolled until I found a username that looked right.” Harry smirked a bit at the blush this brought to Molly's cheeks. 

 

“Oh no…” she whispered, recalling her old username, Molly_Styles95.

 

“I didn’t read too much, just the one where celebrities don’t exist, you get ice cream with One Direction, and then I send you flowers.” Harry explained, still amused at Molly’s reaction.

 

“Okay, that’s good. Still embarrassing, but it could have been worse.” She shook her head.

 

“And why’s that?” Harry started to smile and cocked his head. Before Molly could answer, there was a knock at the door. The designer Jocelyn had gotten in touch with was here to take some measurements for Molly’s dress. They went over the options Molly had to choose from, and after settling on something that she thought would compliment her body type, the designer left to start adjusting the dress to fit her.

 

Harry and Molly spent the next day working with PR to figure out how they were going to ‘come out’ together. Should they just show up at the ARIAs together, with no explanation? Or should they post something cheeky on Harry’s instagram beforehand, somehow hinting at Molly’s identity? They had so much to work out, that by the time the PR team left that evening, the couple were exhausted.

 

“So...do we tell people the real story of how we started dating? Or do we stick with the story that we met while you were doing SNL?” Molly asked as she and Harry hopped into bed together. 

 

“That's not really anyone's business.” Harry replied quickly.

 

“Right, but in case someone asks, we should get our story straight.”

 

Harry was quiet as he contemplated this. “You slept with Tom this summer.” He quietly said after a moment.

 

“Oh, right,” Molly ducked her head bashfully.

 

Realizing he'd caused her embarrassed, Harry admitted, “and, there might be a few girls who’d be upset if they learnt I’d had a girlfriend this spring.”

 

“Right,” Molly fully understood what he meant. “Same, actually.”

 

Harry's eyes shot open wide. “Really?!” 

 

“Well, not girls, no. But I was a senior in college, and, you know, stuff happens.” Molly shrugged, not really sure where she was going with this. She didn’t exactly want to start talking about past hookups with her boyfriend, nor hear about his. 

 

“Yeah, so I guess we'll stick with the facts,” Harry nodded.

 

“Which are?” Molly turned to face him.

 

“That we started dating this summer, right?” Harry cocked his head in confusion.

 

“Kind of. I mean, we met this summer, and immediately pretended to date, but didn’t actually start dating until near the end of August.” Molly explained.

 

“Okay, August, sounds good.” Harry agreed, and it was quiet for a moment as they both tried to change the subject. “Netflix?”

 

“Netflix and chill? Always,” Molly smiled and cuddled up to him 

 

* * *

 

Molly’s dress arrived the morning of the awards, and Harry’s stylist Rupert helped her with shoes and accessories. Lou Teasdale did her hair and makeup before getting started on Harry (since his hair was much easier) and once she saw herself in the mirror, Molly started to feel a little confident about attending the awards with Harry.

 

“How do I look?” She asked him and turned to show off her beautiful gown and hair style.

 

“Wow, absolutely stunning…” Harry’s jaw dropped when he saw Molly in her elegant emerald green, satiny, dress. The low neck showed off just enough of her cleavage, and the dress hugged her middle section, then slowly blossomed out to a long skirt that nearly reached the floor in the back, and showed off up to her ankles in front. Lou had curled her hair and left it partially down, with the front pinned up on the side with an emerald-like gemstone-encrusted flower. Rupe had paired the dress with black stilettos decorated with green rhinestone flowers that matched her hair pin, and a pair of emerald earrings.

 

“It’s not too... green?” Molly asked, checking herself out in the mirror behind Harry.

 

“It really brings out my eyes,” Harry joked and pulled out his phone to take a picture. Harry took a selfie of himself with Molly in her dress behind him. But because he was sitting in front of the mirror, and she was standing behind him, Molly’s face was not in the picture, just her dress.

 

“You should put that on instagram,” Molly commented after seeing the picture.

 

“Really?” Harry turned to look at her. “You’d be okay with that?”

 

Molly bit her lip. “I think it would be smart to let your fans know you won’t be arriving alone.”

 

Harry nodded as he posted the picture on instagram, with the caption: ‘My date’s dress brings out my eyes’.

 

Molly laughed as she read this over his shoulder. “That’s kind of lame, Harry, but it works.”

 

“That’s how they know it’s really me posting it,” Harry joked, and smirked back up at Molly. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


“You’re shaking?” Harry took Molly’s hands in his own in an attempt to stop their quivering.

 

“Or course I am - I’m nervous,” she responded, a bit out of breath as their car neared the red carpet for the ARIA awards.

 

“It’s okay; just take a deep breath.” He instructed. “I don’t mean to sound misogynistic, but all you really need to do is stand there and look pretty. You don’t even have to look pretty - though, you do, as always,” he added with a smile.

 

“But, what if someone talks to me?” 

 

“They won’t, but if they do, we’ve gone over everything. You’ll do fine, trust me.” He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “You know PR better than some of the people on my PR team, sometimes.”

 

“Right, I studied this for four the past years in college,” Molly reminded herself. “I can do this,” she tried to motivate herself.

 

“Good, because we’re here,” Harry pointed out, and Molly’s heart started racing at warp speed again. Harry glanced at her, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before the door opened.

 

“Here goes nothing,” Molly muttered to herself and followed Harry out of the car and onto the red carpet. The camera flashes and fan screams were overwhelming and hit her like a tidal wave, but Molly tried not to show it. _ ‘Just smile and wave, like the penguins of Madagascar, _ ’ she repeated in her head as they made their way hand-in-hand down the carpet.

 

“I’m going to sign a few autographs, okay? Karen will show you where to go,” Harry quickly explained, and hesitated with a smirk on his lips before planting them on Molly’s.

 

“What-” She started, but was cut off by Harry’s kiss and the screaming of Harry’s fans. She gave them a polite wave before following Karen down the rest of the red carpet.

 

“Harry, is that your girlfriend?” One fan asked as he signed a picture for her. 

 

“Yes, she is,” he grinned.

 

“She’s so pretty, I’m happy for you!” The fan replied, and Harry felt all warm and tingly inside knowing his fans (or at least this one) had accepted his girlfriend.

 

Molly was anxiously awaiting Harry when he finally made it up the red carpet. They were shown to their seats and a few people Harry knew said hi to them. Before Molly could catch her breath, the award ceremony began. Then, she was just another audience member - and she could finally relax.

 

That is, until they reached the award Harry was up for. The nominees were read for best international artist, and each was show in the audience on the screen. Molly watched herself on screen next to Harry and tried to keep calm, so much so that she hardly noticed they had read who’d won the category until Harry stood up and leaned over to give her a kiss.

 

“You won? Congratulations!” She quickly said before Harry left to accept the award.

 

“Wow, thank you,” he said and looked at the award. “First, I’d like to thank Sony, and my band -they’ve been wonderful- and my mum, of course, my wonderful fans, my manager...and of course, I have to thank my lovely girlfriend, Molly, for being so supportive and helping me stay true to myself - I don’t know where I’d be without you.” The music started playing, so Harry knew his time was up, and made his way off the stage and back to his seat.

 

“That was really sweet of you, did you have a speech planned?” Molly whispered to him.

 

“Kinda, I mostly forgot it though,” he laughed.

 

The rest of the show went by quickly once they had relaxed. Molly actually enjoyed herself, and got up and danced when Harry preformed Kiwi. The night ended on a high note, and the two rode back to their hotel feeling positive about the experience. 

 

Molly finally turned her phone back on, knowing she would probably get a lot of messages once their secret was out. She expected dozens of text from Lily and Alexa in their group chat, but instead they only sent this:

 

A: Why didn’t  you tell us you were dating Harry?*

 

L: Don’t you trust us?*

 

This was not the reaction Molly was expecting.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They’re finally public together!!! This chapter took forever to get it all together in a way that works, so I’m glad it’s finally done!
> 
>  
> 
> The dress in the image is not exactly how I picture Molly’s dress, but it’s the closest I could find (That’s also not how I picture Molly, btw, but it’s close, I guess).


	48. Chapter 48

As Molly and Harry moved on to the last few tour dates in Harry’s tour, Molly barely noticed the hype around her being ‘Harry’s girlfriend.’ It was something she’d wanted more than anything when she was younger, yet feared more than anything the last few months. But now that it was actually happening, and she was publicly (and privately) Harry Styles’ girlfriend, she felt...normal. 

 

Part of that might be due to the reaction of her close friends Lily and Alexa, whom Molly now regretted not letting in on the secret. She had been so wrapped up in her own problems, that she selfishly didn’t realize that her friends were always going to be just that - her friends - no matter who she was dating. Harry had an idea to hopefully fix their strife.

 

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” He asked, a smile starting on his lips. “You know what they say: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

 

Molly did not see how that would make things better between her and her friends. “You want me to drink my problems?”

 

“No,” Harry chuckled. “I mean, turn the problem into the solution. Bring them to a show, get them backstage passes...maybe meeting me would make them forget about...whatever it is they’re mad at you for.”

 

“They’re mad because they found out one of their best friends was dating their celebrity crush, and didn’t tell them,” Molly sighed. “But your idea might work.” She smiled at Harry and decided to give them a call. It was a bit awkward at first, until they opened up and didn’t hold back their complaints.

 

“We knew you were writing an advice column with Gemma, everyone knew that, so I don’t know why you had to keep it a secret from us that you were dating him,” Lily complained.

 

“Yeah, we’re not 17 anymore. We might fangirl about him, but...this is different. You’re dating Harry, a person, just like us.” Alexa added.

 

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Molly sighed. “I just didn’t want anyone to know about us, I wanted to keep it between us, for now.”

 

“That’s okay, and I get that, but… maybe tell us next time before going public?” Lily rebutted, a bit sarcastically.

 

“I’m sorry, I understand - I’d feel the same way too,” Molly apologized. “How about I make it up to you? He’s playing at a few of the Jingle Ball concerts this year, and I can get you tickets.” Molly smiled to herself as they reacted. “I can get you backstage passes, and, of course, you can meet him.” She held her phone away from her ear as the girls squealed in shrill excitement. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’, okay? I’ll be in touch about travel arrangements and what not.”

 

The girls screamed again, and Molly gave Harry an approving nod.

 

“I knew they’d like that,” he quietly said to Molly with a thumbs up, before leaving to give her some privacy with her friends. After his last tour date in Japan, on December 8, he had a few days to adjust to the time difference before performing at the Jingle Ball in Boston on the 10th with none other than Niall Horan.

 

Technically they were not performing together, but were their sets back to back, and did they plan on maybe overlapping a bit and singing a song with each other? Maybe.

 

When the news broke about Molly and Harry, each of the boys had shown their support in one way or another. Niall tweeted that she seemed like a down to earth girl, who could keep Harry in check; Liam mentioned in an interview -when asked about her- that he was surprised Harry was dating a fan, but he was glad it was Molly; and Louis posted a picture on instagram of him, Molly, Daisy, and Niall at Harry’s concert in LA (which Molly hadn’t remembered taking) with the caption ‘You’re lucky to have a girl like Molly’ and a smiley face emoji. The fans went crazy at this, and took 1D’s acceptance of Molly as some sort of sign. 

 

“Maybe it’s a sign of the times,” Harry joked, and Molly couldn’t help but smile.

 

“Maybe,” she said thoughtfully, her head suddenly miles away. “That does give me an idea,” she started but Karen entered to update Harry on their travel plans. After Boston, they were headed to Washington DC for the next Jingle Ball, and Louis happened to be playing at that show as well.

 

“I wonder if he’ll want to do a song together, or if he’s done with that after the LA show,” Harry mused.

 

“You’re singing some new songs, aren’t you?” Karen asked.

 

“Yeah, but we could do Fools Gold for old times sake,” Harry grinned.

 

“New songs?” Molly asked as she brought her mind back to focus.

 

“From the deluxe album,” Karen answered.

 

“Right,” Molly nodded, remembering she had suggested that to Jeff months ago, but didn’t realize they had followed through with the idea. The timing would work out perfectly: Harry sings a new song from the deluxe album at the Jingle Ball, along with some other songs, and then the album comes out on the 15th in time for people to buy it for Christmas.

 

Molly had not yet heard these new songs, so as she stood off stage at the Jingle Ball in Boston with Niall, she, and everyone else, heard them for the first time. He only played one new song, ‘Medicine’, and the audience seemed captivated by it, as did Niall and Molly.

 

“Is it just me, or is this song about sucking cock?” Niall asked Molly with a confused smirk.

 

“I don’t ask.” Molly shook her head with a half smile. “If he wants to tell me what each song is about, that’s fine, but I don’t need to know the details, or whether or not a song is based on something he experienced or not.”

 

Niall nodded, but didn’t say more (though Molly thought it looked like he wanted to say more). “Personally,” she continued, “I think it’s about drugs, but I don’t know. This is my first time hearing it, too.”

 

“Really?” Niall raised his eyebrows.

 

“He recorded it last year, it just didn’t make the album.”

 

“That’s smart of him to release a deluxe album right before Christmas - wish I’d thought of that!” Niall laughed.

 

“He wasn’t going to, but I think Sony wants to make up some of the money they poured into him, expecting him to be (in their words) the ‘male Adele’.” Molly scoffed and rolled her eyes.

 

“That’s a pretty high expectation,” Niall balked.

 

“It is, and they wrongly thought Harry equaled 1D, and would have the same success.” Molly shook her head.

 

“That’s a bit disappointing.” Niall said quietly.

 

“But I think you’re proving them wrong. You,  Louis, Liam, and Zayn are proving that assumption wrong.” Molly amended, since she hadn’t intended to hurt Niall’s feelings. Niall was about to go on stage with her boyfriend and sing ‘their song’ - If I Could Fly - just the two of them with Niall on guitar, while their bands switched. Then, Niall was going to invite Harry to sing ‘Drag Me Down’ with him before Niall got into his own songs. So, Molly realized, maybe telling Niall that Sony thought Harry was the reason for One Direction’s success was not the best thing to do at this moment.

 

She watched him with trepidation, and followed his eyes as they watched Harry on stage. “Well, he certainly was one of the fan favorites!” He finally said with a grin, and Molly exhaled a sigh of relief. 

 

“This next song is very special to me, not only because I used to get to sing it with some of my best friends,” Harry paused as the audience cheered. “But because it is one of my girlfriend’s favorite One Direction songs.” The crowd again screamed, maybe at the mention of 1D, or maybe because Harry brought up his girlfriend, Molly wasn’t sure, but he gave her a quick glance before continuing. “I am very happy to have one of those best friends here with me tonight, so please give a warm welcome to Niall Horan!”

 

The audience shrieked as Niall walked on stage to join Harry, and the lights dimmed so just they were illuminated while their bands set up. Molly had heard the pair rehearsing earlier, but it still nearly brought tears to her eyes hearing them sing ‘If I Could Fly’ together like that. The crowd seemed to have a similar response, and they gave a heartfelt and possibly teary-eyed round of applause when they finished.

 

Then, the lights came up, and Niall’s band had replaced Harry’s, and once the audience calmed down, Niall addressed the crowd for a bit.

 

“And before I play a few of my own songs, while I have Mr. Styles on stage with me, why don’t we sing a One Direction song for old times sake?” Niall asked the audience and they cheered enthusiastically.  “What about ‘Drag Me Down’? Do you know that?” He jokingly asked Harry.

 

“I think so,” he responded with a smirk. With that, Niall’s band started playing their cover of ‘Drag Me Down’, with Harry and Niall dividing the parts equally between the two. It went over quite well, and Niall transitioned to his own songs after Harry left the stage

  
  


The next night at the Jingle Ball in Washington, D.C., Harry repeated this practice with Louis, except he changed the set list a bit. Instead of Medicine, he played a new song called ‘Anna’, which Molly and Louis both liked. 

 

“I wonder who Anna is?” Louis asked teasingly.

 

“It’s me, obviously,” Molly joked. This was another song she hadn’t heard, since Harry recorded it last year. “Knowing Harry, it’s probably about a fictional character he accidentally fell in love with while watching a romantic comedy.”

 

Louis giggled at this, and agreed. “He does have a tendency to fall hard and fast for people - whether they’re real or not.”

 

“Oh I know,” Molly laughed to herself. “Are you ready?”

 

“To sing with him? Fuck no, I don’t even feel ready to sing my own songs,” Louis smiled wistfully.

 

“I’m excited to hear your new song,” Molly said encouragingly. “And I heard you two rehearsing earlier, and I think you are definitely ready.”

 

“Yeah?” Louis asked doubtfully.

 

“Well, you’d better be, since your turn is almost up. Don't worry, you'll do fine!” She smiled at the panicked look on his face, but turned him toward the stage and gave a slight push as Harry introduced him. 

 

“Give it up for Louis Tomlinson!” Harry announced and the audience went wild as Louis joined Harry on the stage. He waved to the crowd shyly, provoking more screams and a smirk from Harry. “We’re going to sing a song I’ve covered a few times on tour while trying to communicate something to my girlfriend, since, I’m not good with words.” Harry paused as the audience and Louis laughed. “So, here’s ‘Strong’!”

 

As they sang, Molly remembered the first time she’d heard Harry sing that song for her. It was when she flew to Boston to watch his show after he fired Jeff, which felt like an eternity ago, but was really only about two and a half months ago. She had been mad at him after the Daisy/Kiwi situation in Chicago, but when Molly learned that Harry had stood up to Jeff and fired him without her assistance, that somehow changed things for her; it changed things for the better between the two of them. Harry had, in Molly’s opinion, progressed so far since they first met, but Molly couldn’t take credit for that. He had it within him the whole time, she just had to help him open his eyes and take control of his own career, and -in a way- his own life.

 

When Harry first asked Molly to pretend to be his girlfriend around his manager, so Jeff wouldn’t know Harry was trying to fix his image, career, and anything else Jeff had inadvertently messed up, Molly was overwhelmed by the proposition. Yet, she knew that wasn’t normal, and the Harry she thought she knew and loved as a fan wouldn’t let someone control his career in such a damaging way. However, the more she learned, and the more she understood what was going on, Molly realized that the Harry she thought she knew and loved from 1D didn’t exactly exist. The fandom had built up so many myths and theories around him, that they somehow became canonical over the years. To meet and get to know the actual Harry was eye-opening, but not disappointing at all.

 

The ‘real’ Harry -not the fandom-created mythological creature she had grown up with- was almost like seeing the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. Except, the man behind the curtain was a young man who didn’t know exactly what he wanted in life, and had been told he was the star of One Direction until he started to believe it. So the Harry Molly had met back in July was somehow coming to terms with reality himself, realizing that things were not going the way his manager had said they would. This was the state he was in when Molly waltzed into her interview with Harry and Fionn Whitehead for Dunkirk back in July, after getting her first deal as a ghostwriter for a book (which at the time seemed like a big deal, but now? Lol) and whispered in his ear upon greeting him. 

 

And this confirmed Harry’s worst fears, his suspicions, that things were not going as well as he had been led to believe - that he was not the next Mick Jagger or David Bowie, or the ‘male Adele’ as his label had touted. Molly helped him realize there was nothing wrong with just being Harry Styles, former member of boyband One Direction. 

 

He was, in a sense, the reinvented Harry Styles. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Niall’s cover of Drag Me Down! I especially love the beginning : D
> 
> This chapter sort of got away from me a bit here at the end, but I ended up addressing a few things I had been meaning to add, but hadn't found the right spot.
> 
> And, I finally included the title in the story!! I always try to do that one way or another, and I love seeing it in stories because it kind of makes the story feel complete (though we have two more chapters still!)
> 
> I've started writing a new story in a different fandom, so if you like Formula One racing check it out


	49. Chapter 49

Harry’s next Jingle Ball performance was in Chicago on the 13th, and even though they were on a tight schedule, he and Molly still found time to visit Daisy. The last time Harry had seen Daisy in Chicago, things didn’t go so well, so he hoped to fix that this time around.

 

“How are you feeling? You look great, by the way.” Molly asked Daisy as they sat around the table in Daisy’s apartment. 

 

“Thanks, I don't feel like I look great, but I guess that's what comes with being seven months pregnant.” Daisy shrugged. 

 

“Do you have any names picked out? If it's a boy, I have a suggestion.” Harry raised his eyebrows a few times.

 

“Thanks, but I don't think we'll name him 'Harry’, sorry,” Daisy laughed and looked up at Conor.

 

“So it is a boy?” Molly grinned at Harry. “I was right.”

 

“I thought for sure it would be a girl.” Harry groaned.

 

“Sorry,” Daisy shrugged. “Conor and I picked out the name Brooks, after some hockey player on...which team?” She turned to look up at him.

 

“The Washington Capitals, ” Conor answered. “They're not really my favorite team, but I like the name if Daisy likes it.” He caringly wrapped his arm around Daisy’s shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

 

“You guys are so cute.” Harry smiled at the pair. “What, um….so what exactly are you? I mean, like, a couple, or…?” He trailed off as Molly gave him a stern look.

 

“We're just  _ a couple  _ of people who happened to make a baby together.” Daisy jokingly answered and snickered. “We're friends, I think that covers it.” She clarified, and Conor agreed.

 

“It’s the 21st century, sometimes 'a couple’ is a straight, black, hockey player and the lesbian he knocked up,” Conor added with a smirk, and they all laughed. 

 

“I’m happy to see you’re doing well, and I hope you can both make it to the show tonight,” Molly smiled at Daisy and Conor.

 

“We’ll definitely come!” Daisy gave her a quick hug before Molly and Harry had to leave. 

 

Molly and Harry met Liam back stage to go over what song they were going to sing together. Harry had already done ‘Fool’s Gold’ and ‘Strong’ with Niall and Louis, so he decided to go a different direction with Liam. 

 

“I heard you sang a few songs with Niall and Louis, so I have expected this,” Liam shook his head, but laughed, when Harry brought it up.

 

“I had to, right? The opportunity presented itself, and the fans loved it, so why not?” Harry laughed. “Are you going to be at the Florida Jingle Ball too?”

 

Liam nodded. “I am, and I think Niall’s going to be, as well.”

 

“Really?” Harry’s eyes got big and he was speechless for a minute. “Louis’ going to be there too.”

 

Molly hadn’t been paying close attention to the conversation until this point, but perked up when she heard this. “Really? So, all four members of One Direction are going to be in at the Jingle Ball in Florida? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She grinned at Harry and Liam.

 

“We should say hi to them,” he nodded. 

 

“No, that wasn’t it…nevermind.” Molly left to make a few phone calls while Harry finished talking to Liam about the show that night.

 

_ ‘That was odd…’ _ He thought, and spaced out for a bit.

 

“Harry?” Liam repeated.

 

“Yes, sorry, just lost in…” he vaguely pointed toward his head. “Just caught up in thought. So, what song did you want to sing with me?”

  
  
  


Daisy and Conor arrived that night, and were escorted to the VIP seating area. Conor seemed nervous, since he’d never been to an event like this before, but Daisy was surprisingly calm considering the backlash she received the last time she had been seen in public with Harry.

 

“Are you sure about this?” Conor asked for probably the fourth time that evening.

 

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” Daisy smiled back at him, though she didn’t feel as confident as she sounded. The pair tried to ignore the looks and whispers they received from Harry’s fans, or whomever they were. Yet, a couple of his fans smiled and waved when they noticed her. Shortly before the show started, Molly joined them.

 

“Usually I watch from backstage, but I’d rather sit with you guys,” she smiled and sat down next to Daisy. 

 

After a few songs, it was Liam’s turn. He played ‘Strip That Down’, ‘Bedroom Floor’, and a few others that had the whole audience on their feet. Before he sang his last song, he paused to talk to the audience.

 

“I think some of you will know this next song, and I haven’t sung it in a while so would you mind if I brought a friend out to help?” Liam asked, and the crowd cheered. “Alright, make some noise for Harry Styles!”

 

Harry jogged on stage with his guitar and waved to the audience as he joined Liam. “This thing on?” He said into the microphone that had been set up for him. “Guess so,” he laughed and hooked up his guitar. 

 

“We’re going to sing a song that’s very special to you, do you want to introduce it?” Liam said to Harry.

 

“Sure. This is ‘They Don’t Know About Us’ by One Direction,” Harry stated and smiled cheekily back at Liam, who just shook his head and laughed.

 

“Nice introduction,” Liam said sarcastically, and Harry started playing. They were going to sing the modified version of the song Harry and Mitch had come up with, so it was just Liam, Harry, and the guitar.

 

Molly turned to Daisy and Conor. “I love this version,” she whispered before turning back to watch them. It will always remind her of that night she had accidentally very publicly told Harry she loved him in Australia. It wasn’t that long ago, but so much had happened since then that it felt ages ago. 

 

As the song concluded, Harry turned to Liam and thanked him. Liam waved to the audience, and left. While Harry’s band set up behind him, he took a moment to say a few words to the crowd and thank anyone who had come to see him on tour.

 

“Anyway, I, too, am going to ask a friend on stage to help me out with the next song. No, it’s not Liam - we just did that…yes, it’s ms. Daisy Rutherford!”

 

The audience seemed surprised, but Daisy hopped out of her seat and was escorted to the side of the stage, where she was given a guitar.

 

While she made her way toward the stage, Harry continued talking. 

 

“Last time I was here in Chicago I ran into a bit of scandal involving my friend Daisy. A lot of people seemed to think I was the father of her baby and… I’m not,” Harry laughed. “The father of said baby is actually here tonight, right up there.” He paused again and smiled as Conor nervously waved to the crowd who had turned to look. “And seated with him is my wonderful girlfriend Molly. I just completed the first leg of my first solo world tour, and it has been an incredible journey, but I couldn’t have done it without her.”

 

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Conor said, and watched as a few more people turned to glance at him, possibly recognizing him from the ‘Kiwi’ music video. 

 

“Me neither,” Molly agreed. “But I guess he wanted to set the record straight.”

 

“You must get that a lot?” Conor asked Molly. “He seems like he enjoys pointing people out in the audience.”

 

“He does,” she laughed. “Now that we’ve gone public together, I’m sure I’ll get it a lot more.”

 

“He really loves it up there, doesn’t he? Like, he is really in his element, he just shines once he’s on stage.” Conor pointed out as Harry beamed at the audience after telling a ‘witty’ joke. “He’s like the sun, or something - you can’t stare at him too long or you’ll go blind.”

 

“Why would staring at Harry make you blind?” Molly asked, but she didn’t hear his response. She was suddenly miles away, back in Harry’s shower in LA when he told her she was the moon, and Daisy was the sun, in his awkward attempt to tell her his feelings. 

 

But it suddenly hit Molly that  _ Harry  _ was the sun, and she really was the moon after all. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

 

“We’re going to sing a song I wrote a while ago, but it is one of my favorite songs off my album.” Harry looked over at Daisy to make sure she was ready. “This, is ‘Two Ghosts’.”

  
  
  


After the show she said goodbye to Daisy and Conor, and left to find Harry backstage. He was just parting ways with Liam, and said he’d see him at the next show in Florida. Feeling oddly enlightened by her new realization, Molly couldn’t wait to reunite with Harry and share it with him. She wanted to wait for the right moment, so after dinner, once they were alone, she dragged him into bed. 

 

“You know, I’ve been thinking.” Molly started, and rolled over so she was facing Harry. 

 

“Oh?” Harry raised his eyebrows and looked at her. 

 

“Remember when you asked me out, and you said that thing about me being the moon that was there all along - even after the sun went down?”

 

“Ugh, not that again. I said was I was sorry.” He covered his eyes in embarrassment.

 

“No, it’s not that,” Molly laughed and uncovered his eyes. “I mean, you’re right - but  _ you  _ are the sun, and I’m the moon.”

 

“How so?” Harry thought he knew, but he wanted to hear her explanation.

 

“Because I’m there in the background, keeping things going, but not getting too much attention. Whereas, you prefer to be the center of attention, and you love when people get excited to see you. And people are always excited to see the sun - The Beatles wrote a whole damn song about the sun coming out.”

 

“That’s because it’s always rainy in Britain.” Harry looked back at her, and blinked his eyes as he contemplated this. “But I love the moon so much more than the sun. You can stare directly at it without any negative repercussions, and view its natural beauty.” He drew his hand along Molly’s shoulder, down her midsection, to rest it on her hip. “I love the moon, no matter its shape, and the way it lights up the dark night sky, guiding me on a safe path away from trouble.”

 

Molly blushed, but moved into his embrace. “Harry, I think you’ve got a bit of a crush on the moon.”

 

“Oh, it is so much more than a crush,” he grinned and reached up under her shirt to undo her bra.

 

_ ‘The only sad thing about the sun being in love with the moon, is that they’re hardly together. At least not from our perspective on Earth.’ _ Molly thought, but those thoughts (and all other thoughts) were quickly erased by Harry’s skillful actions. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters! I didn’t realize it had been so long, and I’ve run into a bit of writer’s block.
> 
>  
> 
> The next chapter is the last chapter in this story, and I’ve been working on it for a while. I’m sad this story is ending, but I’ve had fun writing it, and I’m so glad you have enjoyed reading it!
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading, voting, and commenting! :D


	50. Chapter 50

 

Harry and Molly sat waiting in a room in Florida the morning of the final Jingle Ball concert. Soon, Louis entered, followed by Niall, and finally Liam. They each seemed surprised to see the rest of them there, then saw Molly and realized she had invited them.

 

Molly watched as the four guys glanced at each other, not really sure what to do. There was a palpable tension in the small room, so Molly got over her internal fangirl screaming and got right into things.

 

“Here’s how it’s going to go: the four of you will come out when Harry introduces his ‘friends’ and sing with him, then you’re going to sing a song off of ‘Made in the AM’.” She swallowed and bit her lips nervously as she watched four sets of eyes fall on her.

 

“Which one?” Louis asked.

 

She smiled. “Harry will explain all of that - I have some friends I have to meet up with.”   
  


“I will?” Harry looked surprised. “Um, okay…”

 

“Thanks, sunshine!” Molly kissed his cheek and left quickly, hoping things would go as planned, and tried to get her head in the right place for her next task. She drove to the airport to pick up Alexa and Lily, and she wasn’t sure how it would be with them. They had been a little upset with her for not telling them about her and Harry before going public, but Molly hoped they were over that now that they had VIP passes to see a surprise 1D reunion.

 

As she walked toward the arrivals section of the airport, she got a call from Lily.

 

“Sooo we brought along another One Direction fan with us, Molls, I hope that’s okay,” Lily said. 

 

“What?! I only have two passes for you guys!”

  
“She’s a huuuge fan though!” Lily pleaded as she scanned the group of people waiting to pick someone up for Molly.

 

“I’ll see what I can do, but this is very last minute.” Molly rounded the corner to the arrivals area and started looking for Lily and Alexa. “Even if you could have told me before you left, I might have been able to work something out-” Molly stopped when her eyes finally found Lily, Alexa, and their ‘friend’, and she ran up to her and gave her a hug. “Mom!!”

 

“It’s just like old times - back when I used to take you girls to 1D concerts in high school,” Deb said as she hugged her daughter back.

 

“I am so happy to see you, and you guys as well,” Molly added to Lily and Alexa. “Let me help you with your luggage, I have a girls’ night planned for us - and a fun surprise later.”   
  


  
  


Harry looked around at Liam, Louis, and Niall, not sure what to say. It was the first time the four of them had been together since Louis performed ‘Just Hold On’ on the X-Factor last year, and a lot had happened since then. They asked Liam how Bear was doing, and Louis about Freddy. Harry and Niall exchanged tour stories, and they caught up on the basics they’d missed over the past few years as they slowly settled back into the way things were - but it could never be quite the same again. The rhythm was disrupted, and the well-worn One Direction groove was long gone -things that had been done and said couldn’t be undone or unsaid- and this left the four boys in an odd stage of limbo.

 

“So, it looks like the band’s back together again,” Louis joked to ease the tension, and the others laughed. 

 

“That girlfriend of yours is sneaky,” Niall said to Harry. “I had no idea what she was up to when she called.”

 

“Neither did I, honestly,” Harry laughed. “She’s pretty clever, though.”

 

“She’s like a mini Simon Cowell,” Liam joked.

 

“Hey, don’t insult my girl like that,” Harry pretended to be upset and gave Liam a light shove.

 

“I meant it as a compliment!” Liam defended. “At least she’s got a better hair cut than him.”

 

“Speaking of which, is that something you’re allergic to now, Haz?” Louis reached over and tousled Harry’s locks.

 

“What, a haircut?” Harry automatically ran his hand through his longish hair. “No, we just thought it looked better this way.”

 

“Meaning, Molly likes it longer,” Niall teased and raised his eyebrows a few times, causing Harry to blush at the truth.

 

“Anyway, as Molly said, we’re going to sing a song off ‘Made in the AM’, one we’ve never sung live before. So, we might want to...practice, or something.” Harry changed the subject.

 

“Molly’s really rubbing off on you, I see, making you all responsible-like.”  Louis noted in a bit of a teasing tone. “He’s probably right, though.”

 

“My band has already learned the song, so if you’d like-” Harry started, but Niall interrupted.

 

“Wait, Molly told me my band was going to be backing us, so they’ve learned it too.”

 

The boys eyed each other in confusion.

 

“What if they played together?” Liam suggested. Niall and Harry looked at each other for a moment.

 

“Yeah, I guess,” they both started.

 

“We could make that work,” Niall added, and they got to work with their bands deciding who would play which instruments on the song, and what not.

  
  


Molly, Lily, Alexa, and Deb spent the afternoon and evening getting ready for the Jingle Ball concert that night. Deb opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass to get the night started.

 

“It’s so nice you guys can drink now so I’m not the only one anymore,” she laughed and refilled her glass.

 

“Mom!” Molly balked, but the others laughed.

 

“What? All the moms at the concerts used to get a drink together while you girls were up screaming at the boys. But this time?” Deb downed her drink. “I’ll be up there screaming with you too.”

 

“Oh god…” Molly rolled her eyes, but her friends giggled. “Okay, let’s go before my mom gets too drunk.”

 

“I am so excited for this!” Alexa exclaimed on their way there.

 

“You should be.” Molly pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t give away the surprise. They knew all four 1D boys would be there, but not what Molly had in store.

 

Molly led the other three backstage to see Harry, Louis, Niall, and Liam before the show. Lily and Alex were suddenly reduced to hyperventilating 15 year old fangirls in their presence, while Deb maintained a bit more dignity (for now, at least). Molly watched in amusement and chatted with Harry and his band to make sure everything was going alright.

 

“You look nice, did Rupe pick this out? You like like you’ve somehow time traveled right out of 2014.” Molly noted his standard black skinny jeans, and loose button up shirt nearly half unbuttoned. Looking over the other three boys, they seemed to have taken the same hint too. “It’s almost like you guys planned this,” she joked.

 

“You mean you didn’t?” Harry asked. 

 

Molly just smiled and kissed his cheek. “Have fun tonight, I can’t wait to see it!” She peeled Lily, Alexa, and Deb off of Liam, Louis, and Niall so they could take their seats in the VIP area. 

 

The first half of the show seemed unbearably slow, even though they danced along with everyone and enjoyed the artists. But they (and many others) seemed to be here for the potential One Direction reunion.

 

First Louis sang a few songs, then Liam. When it was finally Harry’s turn, Molly’s foot started tapping uncontrollably.

 

“What’s wrong honey?” Deb asked, knowing that foot-tapping as a tell tale sign her daughter was nervous about something. “He’ll do fine, you know.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure, but it’s not that. Nevermind.” Molly tried to brush it off and enjoy the show. Harry played a few songs, then stopped. He looked right at Molly and smiled slightly, so she smiled back. 

 

“For my last song, I’m going to get a bit of assistance from a few friends,” Harry paused and grinned at the audience as they reacted. “Please give a warm welcome to Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson!” The audience erupted into cheers as the three made their way on stage to join Harry.

 

Niall had his guitar (as always) so he stood at at the microphone stand, and the other three stood evenly spaced across the stage. Once it quieted down enough, Clare started playing the opening notes of ‘Sign of the Times’ and the audience again screamed in excitement. The song started with Harry, as usual, on the first verse, but Liam took over the falsetto ‘bullets’ chorus. The four of them sang the next section together, and Louis and Niall took turns singing the next part (starting with ‘just stop your crying have the time of your life). Harry sang the ‘we don’t talk enough’ part near the end, and Liam accompanied him on the higher ‘we’ve got to get away’s at the end.

 

The audience seemed to be in some kind of trance, not even singing along with them, just taking it all in. It was exactly what Molly had envisioned, but so much better to actually see it play out in person. As the song ended, the crowd cheered, and to her surprise, Molly found herself (and her friends) crying. It was a weird, almost eerie, environment, but in a good way.

 

As the audience settled down after the song, a few members of Niall’s band joined Harry’s, and the crowd looked on in confusion. Even the boys seemed to look at each other with uncertainty, until it was decided Louis would do the talking.

 

“This is a song I think we all related to over the past two years of the hiatus,” Louis started, indicating he and the other three at ‘we’, and waited for the crowd to settle down again. “We haven’t sung this live before, but off of ‘Made in the AM’, and,” he again paused for some shrieks and cheers before continuing. “This is ‘Long Way Down’!”

 

They certainly didn’t need that many musicians on stage, but it made the experience even more exceptional to see both Harry and Niall’s bands playing together. The audience sang along with the song, and it was, again, a very ethereal experience, but somehow very oddly out of place. Every 1D fan seemed to accept that this wasn’t One Direction, it was four solo artists, and former 1D members, singing a song from their last album. 

 

As the song ended, they all took a bow and waved to the fans. Slowly, Harry’s band made their way off stage with their instruments, yet to Molly’s surprise, all four One Direction boys remained. Niall spoke to his band for a moment before stepping up to the microphone again. 

 

“Firstly, we’d like to thank Molly for getting us to sing together one last time,” Niall said to Molly, and everyone seemed to turn to look at her. She sheepishly waved, and Niall continued. “This was a nice surprise for our fans, but now we have a surprise for you. The last two songs were a little sad, so this is something to cheer you guys up. If you know the words, sing along; if not, just clap? This is ‘On My Own!” Niall concluded, and looked back at his band to signal them to start playing.

 

The song started out with Niall, as usual, and they all sang the chorus’ together. The other guys took turns singing the verses, and had fun channeling their inner Irishman. The audience loved it, but soon Liam, Harry, and Louis had to leave the stage. They took a bow and waved a few times before leaving just Niall and his band on stage.

 

“Tough act to follow,” Niall joked before delving into ‘Slow Hands’, and the audience (including Molly, Alexa, Lily, and Deb) went crazy.

 

“I see what they did there,” Deb nodded as the show came to a conclusion soon after. “This is closure. Those three songs say it all - Sign of the Times, Long Way Down, followed by On My Own -it’s clear, One Direction is over.”

 

The other three girls nodded at her wisdom - something Molly hadn’t even noticed. The boys choice of ‘On My Own’ said it all, practically. They had fun in 1D, but now it’s over and they’re enjoying being on their own. Somehow, they didn’t feel sad - maybe they’d known all along it was over - instead it felt right for them to all do their own thing as solo artists. 

 

After the show, Lily, Alexa, and Deb returned to their hotel rooms, and Molly slipped backstage to find Harry. He was talking with Niall, Liam, and Louis, so she just watched for a minute before interrupting them. She could have sworn they said something like ‘we should do this again’ but maybe it was just her head playing tricks on her.

 

“There she is! Mini Simon Cowell!” Niall shouted when he spotted Molly.

 

“What?” She laughed and joined them.

 

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” Harry reassured her before one of the guys said anything else about it, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

 

“Great job though, that came together perfectly,” Liam said.

 

“Thanks, and that was a nice surprise for me, too,” Molly replied. “You guys were all fantastic...you should form a band or something?”

 

“What? Us?” Louis joked. It got quiet, and they all eventually found reasons to go their separate ways, promising to keep in touch, just like they had the last time. But Molly could tell this was probably it -her mom was right- and One Direction as they knew it had ended two years ago. 

  
  
  


Molly opened up her email the next morning and saw she had an email from Gemma about a new message they had received for their advice column.

 

_ Hey Molly, I think this one’s for you: _

 

‘Dear Molly and Gemma,

 

(Well, just Molly, really [though we love you too, Gemma!].)

 

Firstly, we just want to say that we get it. We 100% understand your reasons to keep your relationship with Harry private. If we were you, we’d want to keep him all to ourselves, and not deal with any speculation or negative feedback from fans either! But after this weekend, we realized that he’s more than just your boyfriend, and you are definitely more than just his girlfriend. You two are, in a sense, a budding power couple in the music industry, the new Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, if we may. 

 

Don’t take this the wrong way, Molls -we love you- but honestly we were never really sure where you fit in, or what your path in life was. You were a hardcore One Direction fan, with a surprisingly sensible mind for PR. But now that we’ve seen you in action organizing the former One Direction members to perform together last minute at the Jingle Ball in Florida, we realize that you’ve found your calling, your ‘niche’, where you belong. Regardless of who you’re dating, you are very good at your job, and just made thousands (probably millions) of people ecstatic with your 1D reunion. If you keep doing what you’re doing, and can keep your head squarely on your shoulders, you will have an amazing career as a manager one day. 

 

Now, back to Harry (sorry, but, he’s clearly the main interest here). We are his number one fans, and will probably support him no matter what. Yet with your guidance and assistance in his ‘reinvention’, we can see the improvements and the approval of people outside of the fandom. Seeing people who were not 1D fans get into his music, for the sake of his music (not just for him) warms our hearts. So as fans, we thank you for taking that chance and going for it, and eventually turning things around for Harry.

 

We will always love you and Harry, so the fact that two you are dating is, of course, mind blowing and amazing. But, on a more real level here, we have seen Harry as your boyfriend, the guy who cares about you, beyond just the outward image of popstar/former-1D-member Harry Styles. He is the best guy we could have asked for our best friend to date, and even if we weren’t fans of his before, we definitely would be now. So we will start the trend now: we officially ship ‘Harly’ one of the cutest, most real couples I have ever known. 

 

Love, 

 

Your BFFs,

 

Lily and Alexa’

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it bad that I nearly cried writing the Sign of the Times part? Just picturing them all together singing that song with him made me a bit emotional! Okay basically this whole chapter had me in tears. 
> 
> And just to clarify, I have no idea if One Direction is permanently broken up, that just seemed like a good way to end the story.
> 
> Thank you to all of my readers, I appreciate every one of you for taking the time to read my story!
> 
> Image credit to the owner, not mine I just liked it :D


	51. Epilogue

Molly sat in Harry’s dressing room in Switzerland before the first show of the second leg of his tour. As she watched him get his nearly-shoulder-length hair done, Molly reflected on the past few months since the surprise 1D reunion; so much had changed, yet in a way, nothing was really  _ that _ different - they were still just Molly and Harry.

 

One of the major changes happened in February -February third to be exact- when Daisy had her baby. The next day, she posted a picture of herself with the baby, Brooks, and his father Conor, almost as if to say ‘hey, look at my biracial child who is clearly not the result of a non-existent fling I had with Harry Styles’. She said something more acceptable, like, ‘we’re so happy to meet our son’ that clearly implied the paternity of the baby.

 

Yet, that did not stop some fans from keeping up the rumor that Daisy had a fling with Harry, and he got her pregnant. They argue that it’s a fake baby and Conor was hired to pretend to be the father to throw suspicion off of Harry. As if that wasn’t entertaining enough, the Haisy fans think they have a secret baby named Darcy or Persephone, and she has beautiful green eyes (of course). Molly found it all hilarious, and entertaining, but really didn't care. She and Harry had more important things to concern themselves with.

 

After the success of the deluxe album at Christmas, Harry and his team considered adding a few other unreleased songs to the setlist for his upcoming arena tour. They tried to find a few songs they had already written that would fit, but Harry instead decided he wanted to write a new song - maybe something that would appear on the next album. 

 

Just a few weeks ago, near the end of February, Harry finally appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show. Some had wondered why he hadn’t back when his album first came out, or even before the first leg of his tour, but now that the arena tour was starting, he finally made an appearance. She of course had to ask about the hot subjects, like Molly and Daisy’s baby, but they did eventually get around to the important topic of his upcoming tour.

 

“So,” Ellen paused with a cheeky grin, “a lot has happened since the last time you were here?”

 

“What do you mean?” Harry joked, and the audience laughed.

 

“Where do I even start?” Ellen laughed. “The album, the tour, the girlfriend, the baby-”

 

“-not my baby,” Harry corrected.

 

“I’ve heard she’s making you his godfather?” She asked.

 

“That is false information.” 

 

“Fake news!” Ellen laughed. “Well, on to another subject...you’ve got a new girlfriend, maybe a baby of your own is not too far in the future?” Ellen grinned at the audience’s reaction and Harry’s blushing cheeks.

 

“Not any time soon.” He emphatically shook his head ‘no’.

 

“You guys are still young, no rush. Tell me about the girlfriend, though?”

 

“Molly is amazing, and I don’t think I’d be here without her,” he said, with a chorus of ‘aww’s from the studio audience.

 

“Right, well she drove you here today, so you really wouldn’t be  _ here _ without her,” Ellen joked. “She sounds like a keeper, though.”

 

“Indeed, she has been instrumental in providing feedback to help steer things in the right direction,” Harry clarified what he meant by ‘here’. 

 

“Nice pun, and speaking of which, how did that epic One Direction reunion come about, and will we get to see you guys all together again?”

 

Harry bit his lips as the audience shrieked. “I’m not sure about the second part -sorry- but the reunion was arranged by Molly. We all just happened to be at the same place at the same time, so it worked out.”

 

“So, you’re saying that if the four of you -or five-” Ellen paused for reaction from the audience, “just happened to be in the same place at the same time again, then you might reunite?”

 

The audience screamed, and Harry again blushed. “Well, it would, um, depend on the circumstances, and, uh, other things,” he stammarred, not prepared for this question. “They’re not going to jump out and scare me, are they?” He looked around and behind his seat for some hidden former bandmates.

 

Ellen laughed. “No, they’re not, I’m just messing around with you. After this, we’re going to play a quick game, and then you’re going to sing one of your new songs!”

 

After they cut to commercial, Harry headed back stage for a moment. As expected he found Molly backstage pacing. 

 

“Ellen really likes to put you on the spot and make you feel awkward,” Molly laughed, “but that’s what makes it exciting.”

 

“Not for me it doesn’t,” Harry laughed. “That was uncomfortable.”

 

  
“But you know the fans love it,” Molly reminded him.

 

“They do, and now I’m going to have to play a fun game Ellen’s crafted, involving a fan,” Harry somewhat jokingly complained as he saw a producer motioning him back to the stage. 

 

“Have fun!” Molly called after him.

  
  
  


A knock on the door startled Harry and Molly as they sat in his dressing room in Switzerland. 

 

“Ten minutes, Harry,” the stage manager notified him.

 

“Thank you,” he replied absently as the door clicked shut, leaving the pair alone again. The hairdresser had left, and Rupert had put the finishing touches on Harry’s outfit for the first show of his arena tour. Now, it was just Harry and Molly.

 

“You ready?” She asked.

 

“I guess so,” he nodded and swallowed hard. He quickly checked himself in the mirror one last time to make sure everything looked okay. He’d stuck with a classic look of chelsea boots and black pants, a t-shirt with the Rolling Stones’ logo on it, and paired the outfit with a fancy belt. 

 

“Good luck,” Molly kissed his cheek and he left to join his band. Molly steadfastly stood just off stage, as she always did, and watched him radiate as stood in front of the audience. The amount of energy in the crowd was palpable as the show started, and they seamlessly ran through their well-rehearsed setlist.

 

“As you know, I released a few more songs at Christmas -and I can tell by the way you’re singing along that you all bought it and have been diligently listening- but I have another, even newer, song I’d like to sing.” Harry glanced off stage to where he knew Molly was standing and made eye contact. He had a cheeky smirk on his face, and Molly had no idea what he was talking about. “I’d like to dedicate this next song to my awesome girlfriend Molly.” He again looked over at her, and grinned as the crowd ‘awwed’.

 

She smiled back at him, and his eyes softened. They stared at each other for a moment before Harry turned back to the audience. “Anyway, this is ‘Lunar Eclipse’.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the real end of the story. I had to add an epilogue since the story just didn’t feel completed. One a side note, I’m kind of working on a Niall fanfic, and have gotten into 5SOS so I might have to write something about them too….
> 
>  
> 
> Lastly, I'm now co-running the Spectre awards, and we're looking for more judges if anyone is interested. The judging section is almost over, but if you’re interested check it out, and let me know:https://www.wattpad.com/story/146859259-spectre-awards-2018
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading, commenting, and voting! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! : )


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